Strip Me
by FirewithFire
Summary: Santana is a stripper in New York. Quinn doesn't know. The two haven't seen each other since the slap, but what happens when their paths cross a few months later during Santana's time of need? *Two week hiatus*
1. LES Artistes

_"Hey pretty lady."_

Santana turned around to meet the man's face. The first thing she noticed was his smug grin. He blew her a kiss, sending the smell of alcohol on his breath her way. It was people like this who disgusted her the most. Judging from the suit he was wearing, she could tell this was one of _those_ men. Deadbeat wife, deadbeat job. It's a shame really, making all this money just to come spend it here. They should be at home with their wives, fixing their problems instead of avoiding them. But who was she to talk? She took a step closer towards the man as she offered him a tempting smile.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh you have no idea…" He licked his lips as he allowed his eyes to wander all over the Latina's body, mentally undressing her.

_Drunken bastard, _she thought to herself though she never made an attempt to show it. Back in the day she would've punched the guy by now, but she's come to the realization that the façade was part of her job.

The man dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out a twenty dollar bill. He raised the bill, holding it up in front of her. "How about… a dance?"

She took a moment to scan the bill before she snatched it out of his hand and turned around. "Follow me."

Not wasting any time, the man did as he was told. He followed her into the private room as she motioned for him to take a seat. He sat back, allowing himself to relax as he kept his gaze fixed on the beautiful woman in front of him. She bent down to face him, bringing her hands up to his cheeks.

"Show me what you like," she whispered in his ear.

The man raised his hands to cup her ass, giving it a light squeeze. "So fucking good," he mumbled as he let out a groan in pleasure. It looked like the guy hadn't touched a woman in ages. Instinctively, Santana felt the urge to knee him, knowing it would cause him a fair amount of pain considering the position they were in. Yet she held her composure. She knew the deal.

She got back up and turned her back to him, sensually swaying her hips, granting him a better view of her ass. She allowed him to let his hands trail across her waist. His hands felt cold against her skin, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

At first, anyway.

With his mouth half-opened he continued to gape at her flawless features. Halfway through the dance he motioned for her sit down on his lap; he wanted more.

Santana nodded, adding a slight smirk. She lowered herself onto his lap, slightly cocking her head to the side to throw the man a luscious look, as if to encourage him.

The man grinned before once again grabbing her ass – a particular bodypart he seemed to have taken a liking to – and started grinding her up against him. She could feel his excitement grow at every move. As the man continued to moan and groan she glanced at the door, picturing herself walking out.

Sometimes, it was as if she wasn't in control of herself. It felt more like she was some kind of bystander, observing someone else's actions. She'd like to think that she's changed for the better since McKinley. She was convinced that she did. And now she couldn't help but think, the _real_ Santana would never do this, she would never reduce herself to a man's fucking fantasy. Unfortunately, nothing less was true. This... pathetic display of the person she never wanted to be, was reality, and it made her heart clench and ache in so many ways. She may not have had her future planned out like everyone else, but _this_ was definitely not how she wanted to end up.

She recognized the near end of the song that was playing and found relief in the fact that it was almost over. She was about to get off of his lap, but the man however, wasn't ready to let go.

"What the fuck?"

As she tried to stand up he grabbed her arm, tightening his grip on her as he felt her pull away. Forcefully he managed to haul her back down onto his lap, and without a warning he hungrily started kissing her down to her neck while she thrashed around, struggling to get out of his grasp.

"I'm not done yet," he breathed out before practically sinking his teeth into her skin, wanting to devour her with more than his eyes.

"The hell you are, you gave me a twenty!" she snapped at him.

Scoffing, he dismissed her comment and raised one hand to the back of her neck to bring her closer and push her into a kiss. She couldn't turn away, the man was simply stronger than her. Their lips crashed together as he jammed his tongue down her throat. Granted, the kiss was far from pleasant, it was sloppy and nearly painful. Finally she somehow managed to detach herself from his lips and decided to do what she's been wanting to do all along. She kneed him the nuts, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Fucking… _bitch_!" he hissed at her.

"You're an asshole." She gave him an evil glare in response before pacing to the door, wasting no time to call out to one of the bouncers. Within a few seconds, a tall broad man approached.

"Can you get this guy outta here?" She turned around and pointed at the man who was still cursing in pain.

Seeing the damage she's done, she couldn't help but feel slightly content. In some way, she was even grateful for the way the guy acted. At least now, she had an excuse to hurt him. He needed to be taught a lesson, after all.

Santana managed a smile and thanked the bouncer as he barged into the room to drag the drunken man out of the club.

As much as she appreciated the fact that the man got kicked out, her face dropped at the realization that the night was far from over. The thought of sneaking out was certainly tempting. She looked around, seeing at least twenty other men just like the one that she just had kicked out of the club. She was definitely not in the mood to stick around. She made her way over to the dressing room, hoping no one would be there. Luckily the room was empty. She grabbed her bag, taking out her little red dress. She quickly slipped it on and reached for her jacket, but before she could make it outside someone stopped her.

"Lopez, what are you doing back here? Your shift isn't over yet."

She slightly cocked her head to the side so he wouldn't catch her rolling her eyes. "I'm not feeling well. Think I'm gonna head out early."

This caused him to frown. "You don't look sick."

"Well I feel sick." _That wasn't a total lie._

She looked him in the eyes, silently pleading him to let her go.

The man kept a straight face. "You know you may be worth a lotta bucks, but I can't afford for you to keep sneaking out like that."

"I'm not – I told you, I don't feel well." Even though the man was right, she couldn't help but start to feel angry. She was just tired of this. All of this. There had to be a better way out. Right?

The man shook his head. "Forget it, you're staying."

"Oh go fuck yourself," she blurted out before taking the time to consider her choice of words. As soon as she said it, she realized it wasn't a very smart move to make. He was her boss, after all.

He clenched his fists tighter but remained in his position. "Don't push me Lopez."

"Or else?" She lifted her eyebrow at him. _What the heck, already put one foot in the grave, might as well finish it._

"You'll lose your job. And let me remind you, you don't have a lot of places to go."

"I can do plenty of things, I don't need this job." It was a sheer lie, but in the heat of the moment she refused to give in. Though… Maybe she had enough money to actually do this. To get finally get out. Just maybe.

The man let out a spiteful laugh. "What are you gonna do? Work at the mall for minimum wage? That ain't gonna cover your rent or your debts and you know it."

"I don't care, I'm sick of this!" she yelled out, not bothering to hold back.

"You're making a bad decision," he said with a deadpanned look.

They exchanged one last glare before Santana turned around and started pacing for the exit.

"If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back!" he called out to her.

She knew she would be regretting this decision, but she kept going. She left the building and heard the door slam closed behind her.

_Shit, what have I done? _

One fucking step out that door, and she was already starting to feel stressed. She looked into her bag to find her release. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and then she fumbled her pockets to find the lighter. Once she got a hold of it she raised it to light the cigarette in her mouth, but when she tried to flicker it on she realized it was empty.

"Goddamnit!" she cursed out loud before she threw the empty lighter on the ground.

"Santana?"

_No fucking way. _She looked up to find a familiar blonde looking at her.

"Quinn."

_That's just great. _The two haven't exactly been on good terms. The last time she'd seen Quinn was when they slapped each other. Santana knew she'd taken it too far by bringing up Beth, but she wasn't one to apologize. Especially not after that slap, _which hurt like hell._ But truly, those were petty problems, Santana had learned that by now.

"When I heard you curse I knew it was you. What are you doing here?" Quinn seemed surprised to see the brunette, who wasn't in a rush to answer the question. Quinn kept frowning at her before turning her head to the side, realizing what building the other girl just walked out of. A sly grin appeared on her face.

"The strip club? Really Santana? That's kinda desperate," she teased.

Santana rolled her eyes in response. "Please, there are enough girls begging me to rock their world."

The grin on Quinn's face slowly made room for a more confused expression. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Then why –"

"I was working."

Quinn's face fell.

She wasn't sure what answer to expect, but _that _definitely wasn't it.

The brunette let out a spiteful laugh. "Guess Rachel was right about me working on a stripper pole."

"Santana, I –"

"Whatever, I just quit anyway," Santana bluntly interrupted.

Quinn shook her head in disbelief. "Why would you even do this in the first place?"

"Not everyone's college material Quinn. Besides, it's none of your business."

"Look I know we haven't been on good terms lately, but –"

"Save it Q," Santana interjected once again. She didn't feel like talking. Not to anyone, and certainly not to Quinn. _Little miss perfect._ She couldn't help but think back at their last conversations and how Quinn was bragging about how great her college life was. Sure, Quinn had gotten into CU, and maybe Santana _was _jealous at how Quinn had everything sorted out – unlike herself – but did she really have to make such an effort to rub it in? Seeing Quinn only reminded her of all the things she didn't have, and she wasn't going take any more of it.

"I'm out of here." Santana picked up her bag and walked away, leaving a confused and conflicted Quinn behind.

"Santana!" Quinn called out one last time, but to no avail. Santana had already disappeared, so sudden it made Quinn doubt if Santana was even really here at all.

Santana kept walking. The streets were fairly quiet, something she definitely didn't mind. She just wanted to get away from it all, so she increased her pace.

As if it would change anything. As if she could just runaway. How the hell did she get here? A few months ago, she was in college. Maybe she wasn't completely happy, but right now, she'd take it all back in a heartbeat. For a moment she stopped her movement, leaning herself against the wall. She slid down with her head in her hands. _Shit. _The more time passed, the more she realized, quitting her job was a stupid mistake. She was being naïve, and furthermore, she was being selfish. _Goddammit Lopez, couldn't you just shut your mouth for once? _She cursed her temper. She wasn't sure if she was angry, or sad, or maybe both. She just wanted to go home and curl up in a ball.

She slowly got back up and decided to continue walking, but before she could make it out the street she suddenly felt someone grabbing her from behind, pulling her into an alleyway. She felt the man's cold hands covering her mouth. As if it were instinct, she bit him.

"Fuck!" The man hissed while quickly pulling away, yet keeping a firm grip on her with his other hand.

The man's voice sounded familiar. _You've got to be kidding me. _It was the drunken bastard from before. _What a fucking day._

"Let me go you asshole!" she yelled as she tried to get out of his hold. She managed to flail one arm around, incidentally smacking him in the face.

"You're a real bitch you know that!" Even though he barely flinched at the contact she obviously had set him off. He forcefully used his elbow to push her up against the wall, knocking out the breath of her.

"My life – is a fucking mess!" He continued to push his elbow further into her ribs, making sure she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Santana knew this was going to leave some bruises in the morning. If nothing worse.

"You know, I didn't ask for much," the man continued. "I just wanted to have a little fun with you, but you wouldn't even let me have that." The expression in his face turned darker as anger started overcome him. She knew this was going to hurt. He grabbed her shoulders and sent her flying, her cheeks scraping the asphalt as she crashed onto the cold hard ground.

Before she could cry out in pain the man kicked her to the face, successfully silencing her. Her world was spinning by now, the man spoke but she could barely manage to make out the words.

He knelt down beside her before speaking again, as if to make sure the words would reach her. "You are… a piece of _trash_."

She smelled the familiar stench of alcohol from earlier that night. She managed to open her eyes just a little, only to find him smirking at her. If she could, she'd smack that smirk off his face. But at this moment it was hard to even move at all. The man was about to throw another punch. Santana mentally braced herself for the impact, but it never came.

A different voice suddenly chimed in. "Hey! What are you doing? Get off of her!"

Santana opened her eyes again just to catch the man's fist, lingering mid-air. Suddenly the angry expression on the his face was replaced with fear. Reality sank in. No one could see what he had done. After all, he'd have to return to his job tomorrow, suit and tie, perfect records and everything. And he sure as hell wasn't going to let this bitch ruin the only thing he still had going for him. He quickly got up and decided to make a run for it, leaving a dazed Santana behind on the ground.

She slowly started to regain some more of her consciousness. She tried to push herself off the ground, but she immediately fell back down, wincing at the pain. "Fuck."

"Santana, oh my god!"

Santana slowly looked up to see that it was Quinn. The blonde quickly kneeled beside her, already attempting to examine the damage.

"Quinn..?"

"Yeah it's me… Santana what… what happened?"

Before she could answer the question Quinn interrupted her with a gasp. "God you're bleeding, we need to get you to a hospital!"

Santana tried to get up once more; with luck this time. She managed to stand up. "No hospital, it's fine – I'm fine."

"The hell you are, look at you!" Quinn yelled out.

A bruise already started forming on Santana's cheekbone. She raised her hand to feel her burning cheek, flinching at the touch. As she pulled back her hand, a sticky red liquid was covering the tips of her fingers.

She let out a shaky breath before composing herself yet again. "It's just a scratch."

Quinn however, refused to let Santana make light of the situation. "You need to go to the hospital," she repeated.

"I'm not going to the damn hospital Q. It's not that bad," Santana spoke with more agitation.

"If you're not going to the hospital, then you're coming home with me."

This caused Santana to frown. "What?"

"We need to take care of the bleeding and clean up the wound, it might get infected."

The two stared at each other a little while longer before Santana decided to give in. Quinn was obviously not going to let this go, and Santana was in no condition to argue or run off as she'd like to.

"Fine."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold**


	2. Tomorrow Comes Today

On their way to Quinn's car, Quinn kept a slow steady pace so that Santana could keep up with her. When Santana paused for a moment Quinn moved closer to her in an attempt to offer her some support. Santana noticed what she was trying to do, and quickly stopped her.

She shook her head. "I don't need your help, I can walk."

Quinn contemplated on whether or not she'd argue, but then she figured, getting the feisty Latina to come home with her was already quite an accomplishment. Knowing Santana, pushing for more would only set her off.

"Fine," Quinn replied in a nonchalant tone. "Then start walking."

Santana scoffed before she started moving again, feeling every inch of her body ache as she did so. Not that she'd let Quinn see.

Luckily for Santana the car wasn't that far. As they approached it Quinn opened the door for her. Santana shot her a somewhat angry glare in response.

"Yeah yeah, you don't need my help. Get over it." Quinn's voice sounded cold, but the truth is that she was worried. Finding the Latina the way that she did, it was shocking. She had a lot of questions, but she decided to save them for later. First she needed to get Santana inside. She crawled into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition. During the ride it was mostly silent. While Santana looked like she had nothing to say, Quinn was still eager for answers. Eventually she decided to break the silence.

"Santana."

The Latina didn't bother to look up. "What," she replied.

"What happened?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Guy was mad at me. He wanted more while I gave him what he paid for. Dickhead."

Quinn was surprised at how easy it all came out. Just a few moments ago she was laying broken on the ground, and right now she treated it like it was no big deal. Maybe this wasn't the first time? She shot Santana a quick glance, but found her eyes glued to the girl's face.

"You should keep your eyes on the road," Santana stated as she caught Quinn staring.

The blonde did as she was told. Even though it was just instinct to argue with Santana, seeing the blood staining her cheeks, she couldn't bring herself to do it. However, she was not planning to let this go any time soon. For some reason their encounter worried Quinn as much as it made her curious. What the hell could have happened over the past few months? She thought back at their last confrontation back in Lima, trying to think of any signs that might've gotten Santana into this mess. Nothing.

Quinn had heard about Santana moving to New York, but considering their latest conversation neither of them really bothered to visit. Strange, how you can live in the same city, and still feel like you're on the other side of the world. Quinn didn't know why Santana moved to New York, or why she dropped out of college in the first place.

After a short while she pulled up the car into the parking spot. As Santana got out of the car she stood still for a moment, taking in her surroundings. She spotted the apartment complex in front of them, nothing fancy, but it was still better than her own home. She furrowed an eyebrow. "Thought you lived in a dorm room? Did you drop out or something?"

Quinn shook her head. "No, I'm still in college, and I used to live on campus. I got into a little trouble… So I started looking for an apartment instead."

Somehow this seemed to amuse Santana. "A little... trouble?"

"Let's just get you inside," Quinn replied with an eye roll before she started walking.

Santana followed but kept her gaze fixed on the blonde. "That teacher you were bragging about. It's him isn't it?"

Quinn felt herself getting slightly irritated. How come Santana could ask her all these questions while she still got nothing out of Santana?

"So it's the teacher," Santana answered her own question, based on the other girl's lack of response.

They reached the entrance and Quinn led Santana up the stairs. Quinn noticed Santana was clutching her side whenever she thought Quinn wasn't looking. She made a mental note to herself to check it out once they got inside.

Quinn fumbled her pockets to find the key.

"So… You live here alone?" Santana asked while Quinn finally got a hold of the key, opening up the door.

"Yep. Welcome to my apartment," Quinn replied while motioning for the Latina to sit down on the couch.

Santana sat down as she let her eyes wander around the room. It wasn't big, but it was kind of cozy. And by cozy, she meant messy. "Geez Q, do you ever clean around here?"

Quinn turned to face her with a frown. "Are you always this nice to people who help you out? No wait. Don't answer that."

Santana rolled her eyes. Quinn should know by now Santana wasn't one to be subtle.

"I'll be right back," Quinn announced before making her way to the bathroom. She came back with some bandages and a tiny bottle of disinfectant. The thought of the stinging liquid touching her skin made Santana shudder before it even happened. But she knew to keep a straight face.

Quinn sat down beside her, trying to get a closer look of the cuts on her cheek before she started cleaning them. Santana couldn't help but wince at the pain as she struggled not to curse out loud. "Umphf."

"Sit still," Quinn said calmly, keeping her focus on the cuts.

Santana let out a huff before she even managed to laugh a little. _You try it, _she thought to herself.

As Quinn finished up, she took a look at the result. The bleeding stopped for the most part, but it didn't exactly look good either. The bruising was now starting to become clearer. "I still think you should –"

"I'm not going to a doctor. It's fine," Santana replied, immediately recognizing what Quinn was getting at.

Quinn offered her a skeptical look in response. "Is it? Santana what happened?"

Santana cocked an eyebrow. "I told you, that guy –"

"No," Quinn cut off. "I mean, what happened these past few months? Why were you working as a…"

"A what Quinn?" Santana asked as she couldn't help but laugh a little bitterly.

Quinn let out a sigh. "A stripper."

A smile appeared on Santana's face, yet there was nothing light about this situation. "Just living up to the expectations, right?"

For so long people joked about Santana becoming a stripper, but Quinn never believed she'd actually end up like that. Not until tonight, at least. What happened? She wondered again. _There's no way her parents know about this right?_

"I know there's more to it than that."

Santana shook her head. "And you also know I told you it's none of your business."

Of course. But that was before Quinn found her bleeding out on the street. Was she just supposed to ignore this? There's no way. Somewhere deep down Santana was still her friend, and she obviously needed help.

"Santana, just –"

"Give it up Q."

"No!" Quinn said while raising her voice. "I haven't seen you in forever, and I get that we're both at fault. But when I find you walking out of a damn strip club, telling me that's your job, you expect me to just let that go?"

This caused Santana's expression to harden. "Yes. I do."

She got up, but as soon as Quinn saw she was trying to leave she stopped her. "Where are you going?" Quinn asked, irritated at the Latina's careless behavior.

"Out," Santana simply stated before turning around.

_What the hell? _Quinn thought to herself. After all of this, how on earth did Santana think it was okay to just leave like that? Before Santana reached the door Quinn grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Stay. It's late, and you shouldn't be out there," she said in a softer tone. She wanted to get angry at Santana, but if there was anything that would chase her away even faster, that was it.

Santana turned back around to face Quinn. She saw the worried expression on the blonde's face. She contemplated on whether she should walk out anyway or just stay. The truth is, she didn't want to get back out there. But then again, she also didn't want to stay here if Quinn was just going to keep pushing for answers.

"I promise, no more questions. For now," Quinn assured her.

Santana let out a sigh. "Fine."

"I'll get you something more comfortable to wear." Quinn made her way to her bedroom before returning with a red hoodie and some sweatpants.

This caused Santana to frown a little. It's been ages since she just hung out in something other than a dress or a pair of tight jeans. She was usually too tired from work to change before passing out on the couch.

"What, not fancy enough for you?" Quinn replied as she caught Santana staring at the clothes.

"It's fine," Santana answered, accepting the clothes.

She made her way over to the bathroom to change. As she took off the dress she bit her lip in order to stop her from flinching at the pain in her side. She looked into the mirror, raising her hand to trail across the bruises from where the man had dug in his elbow. Dark shades of purple and blue covered her skin.

"You okay in there?" Quinn's voice echoed through the other side of the door.

"Yeah," Santana called back before quickly slipping the hoodie on. Once she was dressed she came out of to the bathroom to find that Quinn had already laid out a blanket for her on the couch. She fluffed a pillow before looking back at Santana.

"You can sleep on the couch."

"Uhh… Thanks," Santana mumbled. It caught her a little off guard, Quinn being so nice to her.

"Just call me if you need anything," Quinn said before walking to her room.

"Quinn,"

Quinn stopped her movement and turned to face Santana. "What is it?"

Santana looked away, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable. "I uhm… I appreciate it, that you…"

A smile appeared on Quinn's face.

"You're welcome."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Tomorrow Comes Today by Gorillaz**


	3. Science Of Fear

As Santana rested on the couch, she found herself staring at the ceiling. She was tired, yet she couldn't sleep. She wondered how in the world the night took such a strange turn. She pissed off some drunk asshole, which was mistake number one. Even though she would have done that all over again. Then, she flipped off her boss before walking out on him, and her job in the process, which was mistake number two. This was the one that had her most worried. What was she going to do now? Maybe they'd still take her back, she thought to herself. She let out a sigh. And somehow, in all of this, she ended up at Quinn's apartment. _Now there's a surprise._

She twisted and turned in yet another attempt to fall asleep, though all it did was cause her to flinch. She felt the pain in her side get worse. She flicked on the lights and slowly sat up, lifting her sweater a bit to take another look at the bruising.

"Oh my god,"

Santana looked up to find Quinn walking out of her room. She was just in time to catch a glimpse of the bruising, causing her to gasp.

"It's nothing," Santana said as she quickly pulled her sweater back down, but Quinn wasn't that easily persuaded.

"That's real convincing S, now shut up and lift up your sweater." Quinn approached Santana and sat down next to her as she kept her gaze fixed on what Santana was trying to hide.

Santana shot Quinn a glare, hoping it would scare her off. But who was she kidding? As much as she hated to admit it, besides Brittany, Quinn was the only one throughout high school that has never been afraid of her. And she was always the first to call Santana out on her bullshit.

"If you don't do it, I'll have to do it myself," Quinn continued.

This caused Santana to frown. "You don't get off much, do you?"

Quinn shook her head, dismissing the Latina's comment as she felt herself growing slightly agitated. "Damn it Santana, I'm serious."

"Chill Q, it was a joke." Although by the looks of her messy apartment, Santana couldn't help but wonder how long it'd been for Quinn to get some action.

Quinn looked up as her eyes met Santana's, and for a moment it was silent.

"Let me see?" Quinn asked, in a softer tone.

Santana let out a sigh in frustration. Without her snappy remarks, she was left defenseless. However tempting it was for her to crack another joke to make light of it all, seeing the worried look on Quinn's face, it would probably not be well-received. She slightly nodded before Quinn lifted the hem of her sweater, revealing the dark bruises covering the side of her stomach.

Quinn tried to hold back a gasp. "This looks pretty bad… Does it hurt a lot?"

Just as Santana tried to reply with "No," it quickly turned into a groan, as Quinn gently pushed onto the side of her stomach in an attempt to examine the damage.

"Goddammit Q, can you at least give me a warning?" Santana hissed at the blonde, quickly moving a few inches back. _Stupid idea_. Her body ached at the sudden movement.

Quinn shot her an apologetic look. "Sorry… I just wanted to check if you broke anything. But I see that's just your ego."

"Screw you," Santana retorted while still grunting at the pain.

Normally Quinn wouldn't have put up with this. But she knew Santana was in pain. She let out a deep sigh before she spoke again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise I'll be more careful this time."

Santana simply looked at Quinn with a pained expression. She didn't say anything, so Quinn took that as a yes. She moved closer and lifted up the sweater again. She made sure she was extra careful this time as she put light pressure on the Latina's stomach with her fingertips. Santana gritted her teeth while Quinn continued to feel for broken ribs.

After some examining she pulled back her hand. "I think your ribs are just bruised, I'll –"

"Why were you still awake?" Santana asked, cutting Quinn off.

The sudden change of topic caught Quinn a little off guard. "I – I couldn't sleep… So I went to get a glass of water."

What she didn't say was that it was Santana that kept her up. Because Santana refused to give her some answers, she stayed up trying to fill in the blanks. Was Santana in some kind of money trouble? Did someone force her to do this? And where did she live? Did her parents know?

"Oh," was Santana's only response.

"I'll get you an icepack and some painkillers," Quinn stated before getting up. "You should take it easy."

"Yes ma'am," Santana replied with an eye roll.

Quinn returned with the icepack, a glass of water and some Tylenol as she handed it to Santana.

Santana offered her a brief smile. "Thanks."

Quinn returned a smile before lowering herself onto the couch, sitting down next to Santana. They were both tired, but sleeping seemed to be impossible for either of them. As Santana swallowed two painkillers, she couldn't help but wonder why Quinn was being so nice, when Santana's been a bitch to her pretty much all night.

"Quinn," Santana started.

"Yeah?" Quinn replied as she looked up a little dazed, as if someone just shook her out of her thoughts.

"What exactly happened with your teacher?"

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. "How come you're so sure it has something to do with my teacher?"

"It doesn't?" Santana asked, with a rather sarcastic undertone.

Quinn laughed before shaking her head. "You don't get to do that."

"Do what."

"Ask me all these questions while you refuse to answer mine."

Santana huffed, but she didn't respond because she knew Quinn was right. Who was she to ask her anything? Quinn took her in without having Santana answer any of her questions at all. Which she was grateful for, if she was being completely honest.

"Still don't want to talk?" Quinn asked.

"No," Santana replied. She didn't like to talk about what happened. Because if she did, she knew her emotions would get a hold of her. And she sure as hell wasn't going to break down in front Quinn of all people. She had to stay strong, because if she didn't, she had nothing left.

"Fine," Quinn said before looking away again. The two girls sat down on the couch for a while without either of them saying a word. Though, it was obvious both their thoughts were occupied.

"Feel better yet?" Quinn finally asked.

"I guess," Santana answered with a shrug. "Although I would've felt a lot better if I got to kick that asshole in the face."

This caused Quinn to frown. "You'd be an idiot if you think he'd let you get away with that."

"I don't care."

"Of course you don't…" Quinn mumbled, earning herself an angry expression from Santana.

"What's that supposed to mean."

"You're lucky that guy didn't do anything worse. Santana, he could've killed you! Yet you don't seem to care about anything that's happened tonight." Quinn just kept shaking her head in disbelief. Why was Santana treating this like it was all so casual? Why wasn't she upset?

"Well I'm sorry if I didn't curl up in a ball crying, I'm no Kurt Hummel."

"Why are you acting like this?!" Quinn asked in a louder voice now, catching Santana off guard.

"Like what?" Santana replied, growing more and more agitated.

"God you're impossible. You know exactly what I mean, why are you treating this like it's all a big joke to you, when it's obviously not?! Why can't you just adm –"

"Because I don't know what else to do!" Santana yelled out, failing to force back her words. As soon as she said it out loud she felt her lips starting to quiver. _Damn it, why did I say that?_

Quinn's jaw dropped slightly, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't expect Santana to react the way she did. It was probably the most honest thing Santana had said all night.

Santana let out a sigh, trying to recompose herself. _Leave it to Quinn to push my buttons like that…_

"I'm tired, and I'm sure you are too… We should catch some sleep, okay?" Santana said in a more steady voice, though still mentally beating herself up over losing control.

"Santana…"

"Please."

Quinn looked into Santana's eyes that were pleading for her to let this go. As much as she wanted to, Quinn knew she shouldn't push her for more. She simply nodded before getting up.

Santana offered her a silent thank you. There was just a certain comfort in not talking.

Before Quinn reached her bedroom door, she shot Santana one last glance.

"Good night Q," Santana said softly.

"Night S," Quinn replied with a small smile, and with that she entered her room.

Quinn desperately needed some sleep, yet she couldn't help but think about Santana again. The way she looked after Quinn called her out. For a brief moment, Santana let her see through the cracks. Even if it was just a little, it was _something_. God, she just saw Santana for the first time in months, and already the girl already crept under her skin… After a while, she couldn't fight back her sleep any longer. Slowly but surely she drifted off into a deep sleep.

The next morning she woke up to the sound of rustling coming from the living room. Not wanting to get up, she closed her eyes once again. But the blinding sunlight snuck its way through her curtains, making it impossible for her to fall back asleep. She let out a sigh before suddenly remembering what happened last night. _Santana. _

She quickly jumped up as the thought of yesterday's events shook her wide awake. "Santana?" she called out before walking into the living room, only to find an empty couch.

W_hat the… Where is she?_

She scanned the living room once again, looking for any sign of the Latina. She checked the bathroom, yet, still nothing. _Where could she have gone? _

When she returned to the living her room her eyes fell on the coffee table. She saw something she hadn't noticed before. _Santana's phone._ She left it. Quinn thanked God for Santana being stupid enough to leave her phone behind. Surely she'd have to come back to pick it up right? Quinn walked over to the phone, but just as she was about to pick it up, it went off.

Quinn contemplated on whether or not she should answer it. If Santana were here she would definitely kill her. But then again, Santana w_asn't _here, and she was the one who left her phone at Quinn's apartment in the first place. It was an easy decision, really.

_"Santana, thank god you picked up your phone. I've got some bad news. You need to –"_

"Puck?" Quinn interrupted, recognizing his voice.

_"Who's this?" _he asked, sounding rather confused.

"It's Quinn."

_"Quinn? Why are you answering Santana's phone?"_

"I uhm… She left it at my apartment," Quinn answered, obviously leaving out a part of the story.

_"What is she doing at your… You know what, never mind. Just tell her to call me back as soon as possible."_

"Wait, Puck, can you tell me what's –"

Before she could finish, Puck had already hung up the phone.

Quinn let out a groan in frustration before dropping herself onto the couch, the couch that Santana was sleeping on not too long ago.

_Where is she? _And what does Puck know that Quinn doesn't?

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Science of Fear by The Temper Trap**


	4. Hang Me Up To Dry

**Note: **So maybe it'd be good if I clarified some things for everyone. So first off. Everything is pretty much canon up until "the slap", _except_ for the fact that Quinn went to Columbia University instead of Yale. Due to my other fics I grew kind of tired of having to work my way around the fact that Quinn lives all the way up in New Haven. This way she's in New York. It's kind of a lazy solution, but oh well, sue me. Second, Quinntana will happen at some point. You're going to have to trust me on that one. Third, due to the fact that I obviously changed some of the circumstances, Santana does not live with Kurt and Rachel. However, I might involve them later on. They are in New York too, after all. Finally, Puck plays a particular role in this fic. Not a huge one per se, but yeah, he does know _certain_ things about Santana's little situation.

And last but not least, again, thank you for your reviews, follows and favorites! With that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Rain was pouring down as Santana quickly made her way past the crowd, earning herself some stares due to the cuts and bruises that were now clearly visible on her face. But she couldn't care less. She needed to get out of Quinn's apartment. Although she appreciated the fact that Quinn had taken care of her, waking up this morning snapped her back into reality. She panicked once she realized again that she just quit her job. It wasn't exactly her dream job – by far – but she was more dependent on it than she'd like to admit. Quinn couldn't see her like this, so she did what she knew how to do best. Run away.

The rain was starting to fall down harder, so she decided to take shelter just until the worst of it would stop. She leaned against a wall, taking a deep breath before fumbling into her bag. She looked for her phone, but her face dropped as soon as she realized it wasn't there.

"Fuck!" she yelled out in frustration, once again catching the attention of some strangers passing by. They looked over but Santana simply shot them a glare, which was all it took for them to turn their heads and keep walking.

She must've left her phone at Quinn's apartment. _How could I be so stupid? _She thought to herself, anxiously running her hands through her hair. She needed to get it back. What if Puck called? What if…

"Shit, shit, shit," Santana kept repeating. How was she going to get her phone back without stumbling into Quinn? She couldn't face her, especially not after leaving without a word. She did feel bad that she didn't even leave her a note or anything. She just disappeared, and surely Quinn was going to be mad at her. Despite the fact that she dreaded going back, she knew she had to.

As the sky cleared up a bit, Santana reluctantly walked back into the direction of Quinn's apartment. Once she reached the building, she stopped in front of the entrance. She didn't want to go in. Even though she knew she didn't have a choice, she figured she could at least smoke one cigarette to calm her down. She was going to need it. She pulled the pack out of her bag before remembering that she threw away her lighter. She let out a groan. _Jesus can you give me break?!_

"Smoking's bad for you, ya know."

Santana looked up at hearing the strange man's voice. She was about to snap at him but then she realized he was holding out a lighter. Some irony.

"Uhm, thanks…" She replied with a frown.

"No problem," the man said while offering her a timid smile. After Santana lit her cigarette she returned the lighter to him. Then he pulled out his own pack of cigarettes.

"Hypocritical, much…" Santana mumbled while blowing out a puff of smoke, already feeling more relieved.

The man looked down with a subtle laugh. "I just offered you my lighter, are you always this nice?"

Santana let out a small laugh in response. It kind of reminded her of Quinn when she asked her if she was always this nice to people who help her out. _Guess I just can't help it._

"Besides. Smoking _is _bad for you," the man continued.

"So why do you do it?" Santana asked, feeling a little intrigued by him.

"Because, if I stressed over all things that are bad for me I'd go crazy. Now that's bad," he answered while inhaling, causing his voice to sound a bit raspy.

Santana smiled at this. "That's some fucked up logic. But it makes sense. I guess."

"Well what about you?" The man asked. "You seem too pretty to be smoking."

Santana cocked an eyebrow. Somehow he seemed to ignore the bruises on her face, which she was silently grateful for. "Are you trying to hit on me or something? Because if you are, that's a real cheesy move."

The man shook his head. "I'm not. I answered your question, so it's only fair for me to expect you to return the favor, isn't it?"

She narrowed her eyes at him before looking away. "It just calms me down when I get anxious," she finally admitted.

"Why are you anxious?" he asked, now looking at Santana. Strangely enough with a rather blank expression.

Santana hesitated before answering. "I'm about to face someone I _really_ don't want to see."

Usually she wouldn't say this so easily. Yet, she found a certain comfort in talking to strangers. No expectations. No personal vendetta's. No knowledge except for the things she told them.

"Then why are you going?" the man asked.

"Left my phone there…" Santana admitted.

"I see." The man let out a subtle laugh before he checked his watch. "I have to go, my colleague is waiting for me. It was nice talking to you…"

"Santana," she finished for him.

The man smiled. "Goodbye Santana. And good luck."

He flicked away his cigarette and with that, he crossed the street. _Well that was weird._

Eventually she shrugged it off. She had bigger things to deal with. She dropped the remainder of her burning cigarette onto the ground, extinguishing it with the nose of her shoe. She took one more deep breath before entering the building, making her way up to the third floor.

When she found herself in front of Quinn's door she raised her hand to knock, but she paused mid-air. What was she going to say? She couldn't just walk in and grab her phone right? She let out a sigh. She'd come up with something, she just had to get her phone. A moment later she finally found the courage to knock.

At first, no one answered. Maybe Quinn wasn't home? But before Santana could turn around, she was stopped by the sound of the door opening.

"Well look who came back."

Santana looked up at Quinn, as her eyes were met with hazel ones. It didn't take long for her to figure out Quinn was mad. She had every right to be, Santana knew that. Yet she couldn't bring herself to apologize. Because if she hadn't left her phone, she wouldn't have come back in the first place.

"I just… went out for a walk," Santana lied. It was a horrible lie, she knew Quinn would see through it in a second, but she had to try. She had to say… _something_. It sure as hell beat the truth. The truth was that she was a coward, and she just ran away.

Quinn let out a sarcastic laugh. "With all your stuff? Come on Santana, that's bullshit and you know it!"

Santana kept a straight face. "Okay, I can see you're mad. Can I just have my phone? I promise I won't bother you anymore, and then we can go back to the way things were."

"Wha – Are you serious?!" Quinn asked in a loud voice as her anger startled Santana. "No! What makes you think that – I… Santana you just left! Am I supposed to act like nothing ever happened?!" She shook her head. She couldn't believe Santana was being this ignorant.

"I wish you would," Santana replied in a soft voice.

Quinn calmed down a bit, realizing that Santana wasn't _really_ being ignorant.

Quinn took in the sight in front of her. Her exterior might scream _bitch_, but Quinn knew Santana long enough to know that there was more underneath. Even though sometimes, she forgets. "Santana… Just… Come in."

Santana seemed a little conflicted. "I don't know if that's –"

"Please. You owe me that," Quinn cut her off.

Santana offered her a slight nod. She entered Quinn's living room, once again sitting down on the blonde's couch. If it weren't for the circumstances, she might actually have enjoyed this. Quinn's couch was soft, and it was… kind of nice, not to be alone for a change.

"Do you want something to drink?" Quinn asked in a neutral tone as she walked over to the fridge.

Santana shrugged. "Water's fine, I guess."

Quinn didn't respond. She just opened the cabinet and grabbed two glasses, filling them with water. She walked over to Santana and offered her the glass.

"Thanks…" Santana replied, still feeling a little uncomfortable.

Quinn sat down next to her. "Why did you leave?"

Santana shrugged again. "Just… 'cause."

Quinn stared at the girl for a little while longer before giving in. Santana wasn't going to talk. Quinn sighed. "How's the…" Quinn pointed at Santana's side.

"Sore," Santana admitted. "Look, Quinn… I don't want you to think I was being ungrateful. I really do appreciate what you did for me."

"You sure have a strange way of showing it," Quinn couldn't help but sound a little bitter.

"I know."

Quinn looked up Santana, not expecting her to admit to it. "Santana… why can't you just talk to me? We may not be so close now, but we used to be friends. I just want you to realize, I still care."

Santana's expression softened, but she didn't respond. She didn't know what to say. If she was being completely honest, she missed having Quinn as her friend. Despite their constant struggles – or maybe even _because_ of them – Quinn knew Santana inside out. Which was what scared her most.

Quinn reached over to the coffee table next to the couch, grabbing Santana's phone before handing it to her.

"Thanks Q," Santana replied with a small smile.

"You should know," Quinn swallowed before continuing. "Puck called, said you need to call him back as soon as possible."

Santana's face immediately fell. She quickly turned to face Quinn with a raged expression. "You answered my phone?"

"You wouldn't tell me anything… So…"

"So you decide to invade my privacy?! That's messed up Quinn!" Santana yelled, not bothering to hold back.

"Santana he didn't even tell me anything! Besides, _you _are the one who was stupid enough to leave your phone here anyway!"

"And that gives you the excuse to answer it?! That's just… Damn it Quinn!" Santana exclaimed angrily while running her hands through her hair in frustration.

Quinn frowned as she realized that something else was going on. Santana didn't just seem angry, she seemed scared. She couldn't help but think it was some kind of silent plea for help.

"Santana, just –"

"You had no right!" Santana yelled out before standing up. Quickly she grabbed her stuff. Suddenly Quinn's cozy apartment felt like a hostile environment. Just when she was starting to trust Quinn… She shook her head, she was stupid.

"You are _not _leaving again!" Quinn spoke up when she saw Santana started pacing for the door.

"Watch me," Santana replied in cold steady voice, shooting Quinn one last glance before slamming the door closed behind her.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids**


	5. Nuclear Seasons

Just like that, Quinn watched Santana leave, _again. _She stood still, stunned by the Latina's reaction. A part of her wanted to run after her, get mad at her. But it was the other part of her that stopped her from doing so. The part that told her she'd only make things worse. After a few moments she managed to calm down. She realized she probably shouldn't have answered Santana's phone. But what else was she supposed to do? Santana was obviously struggling with something, and Quinn felt compelled to find out what it was. Santana shouldn't get mad at her for wanting to help. Why was Santana being so damn stubborn?

She let out a sigh. She cursed herself for losing control, but Santana just did that to her. Always has. Yet for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about last night. What was it about Santana that kept Quinn so intrigued? And _seriously_ what happened? Unfortunately, she chased away the one person that could tell her. Or… didn't she?

_Puck._ As soon as his name popped into her mind she grabbed her phone and started dialing. Puck obviously knew something she didn't, so this was her only shot.

"Puck?"

_"Quinn…"_

"I need to ask you something. About Santana."

Quinn heard Puck let out a sigh on the other end of the line. Growing impatient, she continued. "Look, I know something's wrong! I just… I just want to help her."

_"…I get that. And I think you should. She could really use some friends right now, even though she doesn't like to admit it."_

"How am I supposed to help her if she won't even talk to me? Can't you just tell me what's going on?"

_"If she didn't tell you, I'm not going to either. Besides, she'd go all ape shit on me, or Lima Heights whatever. Look, if you get her to trust you she might open up."_

Quinn let out a small laugh in desperation. She might've screwed that one up. "I don't think she trusts me at all right now, I pissed her off pretty bad. But she… God she just gets under my skin sometimes."

_"And that's something new to you? You guys have always argued a lot, but in the end you always make up. Just… don't give up on her, okay? I would really appreciate it if you could keep an eye on her."_

"She just walked out on me after our argument. I don't even know where she is. How am I supposed to keep an eye on her?"

For a moment it was silent on the other end of the line.

"Puck?"

_"Crap, she is going to kill me for this… But… I'll text you the address."_

"Thank you."

_"Don't thank me yet. Just… don't push her, Quinn. It's not something she likes to talk about."_

Quinn couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I kinda figured."

_"She can be a real pain the ass, huh."_

"Tell me about it."

_"You know her though. She has her reasons."_

Quinn nodded, even though Puck couldn't see it. She let her mind wander again. Santana _did_ have her reasons, and that's what worried Quinn most. What could've happened that made her this… distant? She had some trust issues, that part was blatantly obvious.

_"Quinn? You still there?"_

"Uh, yeah. Sorry. I think I'm gonna go pay her a visit."

_"Good. Could you… maybe gimme a heads up on how she's doing? I'm kinda worried."_

"If you're so worried, why don't you check up on her?"

_"I can't. I have to be in Lima." _

"Fine, I'll call you when I get back."

_"Thanks Quinn."_

They said their goodbyes before hanging up the phone. Quinn sighed in relief. At least she knew where to start now. However, that was only one part of the problem. The other would be to get Santana to talk to her. Quinn remembered Santana's face before she walked out the door. She was furious. Quinn could only hope Santana had calmed down by now.

She took a deep breath. She went into her room to collect her stuff, and she couldn't help but notice the homework piling up on her desk. She'd been neglecting it a lot lately, and Santana barging into her life like this didn't exactly help either. She grabbed her jacket and made her way outside.

She got into her car and drove off to the address Puck had given her. She couldn't help but wonder, if Santana had problems with trust, Puck had risked a lot by giving Quinn her address. He must have been pretty worried, Quinn thought to herself. And who was she to prove him wrong? Even after only one night, Quinn had seen that the girl was scarred physically and emotionally. Yet somehow she managed to keep up this façade, pretending she didn't care about any of it. Quinn figured, she couldn't do this forever. Santana had to break down at some point, right?

Quinn pulled up at the parking lot. As she stepped out of the car she looked around. It wasn't exactly a nice neighborhood. Even in broad day light, it felt rather dark. Then again, Quinn was relieved to find that Santana at least had a roof over her head. She stood in front of the apartment complex. _This is it. _As she was mentally preparing herself for confrontation she received some odd stares from strangers hanging out on the porch. Feeling a little uncomfortable, she quickly entered the building, making her way up. _First floor_… As she reached the door to Santana's place she couldn't help but overhear something, the walls weren't exactly soundproof.

_"…Shit."_

It was definitely Santana's voice.

_"I know, I know. I'm gonna take care of it."_

A phone call?

_"No I have to! I'm all she has!"_

_"Don't… Don't do that."_

_"Just… Stop. Look, I'm so grateful for you doing this, but I can't deal with that, not now. I just… Thanks for telling me, okay? I have to go, let me know if there are any updates. Please."_

_"Bye."_

What was that about? Who was on the phone? And who is… _She_? What was Santana taking care of? Quinn had so many questions, she needed to know. It was now or never. Without further hesitation she knocked on the door, loud enough to make sure Santana would hear it. Whether she'd like it or not.

"Santana I know you're there!" Quinn exclaimed.

No one answered the door, but Quinn knew Santana must have heard her. "You can't ignore me. I'm not going anywhere until you open up that door!"

Nothing.

"You wanna play stupid? That's fine," Quinn continued. "Look Santana, I know something's up. I'm sorry I answered your phone, okay? I shouldn't have done it. I was just worried."

Once again she was met with cold silence.

"Can you at least say something? I don't expect you to be nice, get mad whatever, I don't care, just talk to me. Or hell, slap me even, just don't shut me out."

Santana still hadn't responded. Quinn knew for sure she could get Santana to open up the door, but right now she started to wonder if that was true.

"Please," Quinn pleaded in a softer voice.

After a few moments of silence, she finally got a response.

"…I'm going to kill Puck."

Quinn jumped up at hearing Santana's voice. The door opened, and her eyes were met with Santana's. She didn't exactly look happy to see Quinn, but at least she opened up the door.

"What do you want Quinn. Invade my home? Look around? Search my drawers?"

Quinn shook her head. Even though she was happy Santana was talking to her, she didn't exactly have a plan on how to handle this.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have answered your phone," Quinn managed in a calm voice.

"You said that already," Santana stated blankly.

"I knew you were listening…" Quinn mumbled, her lips curving slightly upwards.

Santana rolled her eyes. "So what do you want," she repeated.

"Can I come in?"

Santana stared at her for a while.

"You should know, if you don't let me in, I'm not moving. I'll still be here," Quinn continued.

Santana let out a sigh. Without saying a word, she stepped out of the way, making room for Quinn to enter.

Quinn offered her a smile. "Thanks."

As Quinn walked into Santana's apartment, she realized Santana's apartment was quite empty. The only pieces of furniture in the room were a couch, a TV, a small table and a less than fancy wooden chair. There were several cracks in the walls, as well as the floor.

"So this is where you live? It's… nice…" Quinn couldn't help but stare in awe as she was still taking in her surroundings. It was definitely not like Santana's home back in Lima.

"It's no five star hotel. You are free to leave whenever you like," Santana replied as she sat down on her couch.

Quinn couldn't help but feel a little offended, did Santana really think she'd give up on her that easily? "That's not what I meant."

"Then what _did _you mean Q?" Santana asked with a frown.

"You shouldn't live like this."

Santana faced her with an annoyed expression. "Who are you to tell me how I'm supposed to live my life? Look, if you're gonna do this I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

"No, I'm not going anywhere! Why do you use everything as an excuse for people to leave?"

Quinn noticed Santana was clenching her fists, but she didn't respond. It caused Quinn to believe she hit a nerve. Talking with Santana really was like walking on egg shells.

"I'm sorry," Quinn apologized as she calmed herself down again. It took her quite some discipline not just grab Santana by the shoulders and shake her out of whatever she was in. Still, in a way, Santana's lack of response frustrated Quinn as much as it fascinated her.

"Don't you have class or something?" Santana mumbled after a while.

Quinn cocked an eyebrow. "It's Saturday."

"Oh…" Santana replied while looking down.

An awkward silence followed. Quinn wanted to say something, but it felt strange just to bring up casual topics when what she really wanted do was fire all these questions at her. Though judging from Santana's earlier reactions, she obviously couldn't do that.

"Have you eaten yet?" Quinn asked, as she finally decided to settle for the casual topic.

Santana shook her head. "Haven't gotten to it. I'm not hungry though."

"You can't not eat. Come on, let's head out. I'll buy."

This caused Santana to look up. "I can afford my own food. I don't want your pity."

"It's not pity."

"Then what is it, a date?" Santana asked skeptically, squinting her eyes at the other girl.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. You know what, you can buy your own food. But can we please just get something to eat now?"

Santana shook her head. "I can't. I have somewhere to be," she answered as she stood up, leaving Quinn confused.

"Where are you –"

"To get my job back," Santana stated in a matter-of-factly manner.

Quinn stood with her mouth agape. "What? Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"You can't – You…" Quinn stammered.

"I don't have time for this," Santana said as she threw on her jacket.

Quinn shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't let her do this. She moved in front of Santana, facing her as she forced them to lock eyes with each other. Quinn had a thousand things to say, yet she was left speechless, when she found herself simply staring into Santana's eyes. She expected them to shoot daggers, but instead, she was met with an alloy of emotions, unspoken words. It was… captivating, really.

Quinn was surprised Santana didn't move away immediately. Apparently Santana was too. She quickly stepped passed Quinn. "I have to go."

"I'm not leaving," Quinn called back.

Santana stopped her movement before facing the blonde once more.

"Fine. Stay."

Before Quinn could say anything Santana was already out the door.

She stood in the middle of Santana's apartment, still surprised at the fact that Santana didn't kick her out. And above all, she was surprised that Santana would even consider going back to that job. Why would she? Did it have something to do with that phone call?

Quinn shook her head in disbelief. How is this all affecting her so much? Six months she hadn't seen Santana, yet one night was all it took for her to drive Quinn crazy. She realized, she may be growing slightly obsessed with Santana.

Santana's problems, that is.

* * *

******Song / Chapter Title: Nuclear Seasons by Charli XCX**


	6. Wallpaper

**Note: **Just one thing, _Jammy, _I'd like to explain why Quinn reacts that way. The thing is, she still doesn't really know how to handle Santana. If she chased her down the street, Santana might end up running away for good. But of course she wants to go after her, and she will "buckle up". Anyhow, thank you for your review!

This chapter is a little short, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

It's been two hours since Santana went out. Quinn had spent most of the time hanging out on the couch, thankful for the fact that there was a TV. Though if anyone asked her what she was watching she probably couldn't even tell. She found herself replaying the phone call she overheard, over and over again.

_"I'll take care of it."_

_"I'm all she has!"_

Quinn still couldn't figure out who s_he _was. However, putting two and two together, Quinn did realize Santana wanting to get her job back was probably her "taking care of it". Whatever _it _was. She had to have done it for the money. That had to be it right? Quinn knew that a lot of strippers did make a fair amount of money. Mostly due to tips. It was hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that Santana let those men grope her for money. She knew the girl could do a lot better, even when she hasn't always admitted that back in high school.

Suddenly she heard the sound of the door opening, shaking her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find Santana walking in. Quinn was relieved that she was back, because for some reason she's been starting to feel nervous whenever Santana left. From the looks of it, so many things had happened in the six months Quinn hadn't seen her. Knowing this, the idea of Santana leaving and getting into even more trouble had her growing worried.

"You're still here?" Santana asked, with not so much of a questioning as much as a surprised expression on her face.

"I told you I wasn't leaving," Quinn replied lightly.

Santana kept looking at her with a doubtful stare. "You didn't look through my stuff did you? Because I'm like a hound, I can tell if you did."

She quickly peeked into her bedroom, trying to see if anything was out of place. Yet, everything seemed to be in order.

Quinn simply shrugged. "No, I just watched some TV, if you don't mind."

"That's… fine," Santana answered as she still seemed a little at awe. She shook her head before dropping her bag and making her way over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water.

"So… What happened with your job…" Quinn asked carefully, making sure she didn't sound too eager.

"Got it back. I knew he'd break at some point… Though I can't start this week. Because that fucking drunk asshole made _this _mess on my face," Santana stated as she pointed at the cuts and bruises on her cheek.

"Isn't _that_ enough reason for you not to go back?" Quinn asked while folding her arms.

Santana faced her with a frown. "Are you really gonna do this again?"

"I just…" Quinn struggled with the fact that she didn't want to upset the girl, yet she couldn't just… not say something? Right? She wanted to get mad at her, she really did.

Santana noticed Quinn was holding back. "If you've got something to say, say it."

"How am I supposed to do that if you keep running away? Look, Santana. I just feel like… You're better than this. Okay? You don't have to do this."

Santana shook her head. "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand," Quinn said more loudly this time.

Santana just kept shaking her head. "You think you can do this? Walk into my life after six months and expect me to tell you everything?"

"Why can't you?" Quinn asked, even though she realized Santana was right. She basically just showed up at Santana's doorstep, expecting her to talk. But things were just never that simple, were they?

"Because I just – damn it, would you leave it alone?"

"You can't keep it all in."

"Keep what in? Quinn you don't even know what you're talking about!"

Quinn let out a sigh in an attempt to compose herself. "You're right, I don't, and I'm sorry. But I'm not gonna apologize for being worried."

"Quinn –"

"No, when I found you on the street like that… Do you even know what that did to me? You scared the shit out of me Santana, and I can't help but feel like I might find you in a worse situation if I leave you alone again."

Santana kept a stern expression on her face. "I'll be fine."

"That still doesn't mean I'm going away."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You know why." Quinn was worried, and she had every right to be. "Now how about dinner?"

This caused Santana to look up. "What?"

"You're back, so now we can get something to eat."

Santana stared at Quinn, a little confused. The offer was somewhat unexpected, but it sure as hell beat talking about her personal problems. She wasn't about to give Quinn an excuse to change back the subject, so she simply nodded. And Quinn, well, she realized that she shouldn't keep pushing for the matter. If she did Santana could end up walking away again, and she might not come back this time. She just needed to stay patient.

Quinn shot her a small smile. "Good. So what do you want to eat?"

"I don't care. Just pick something," Santana replied with a shrug.

"I haven't had pizza in a while…" Quinn mumbled. "Do you wa –"

"If you want pizza we'll get pizza," Santana spoke as she cut Quinn off.

"Fine."

Not even five minutes later they made their way down the street. As they were passing through a few guys kept staring, making Quinn feel slightly uncomfortable. Santana noticed this.

"Lopez, who's your pretty friend? Can I show her around?" one of the guys called.

Santana turns to face them. "Fuck off."

"Chill out, we're just showing her some hospitality."

"Well she is none of your business, and you don't come near her or I will have to teach you some manners like we do it in Lima Heights. Entiende?" Santana spoke firmly, adding a glare.

Quinn was rather fascinated by how Santana was being... protective, though in her own way. It was almost funny, even. Back in McKinley Quinn usually found herself on the other side, being the one Santana scolded. Of course, that also worked the other way around. They had been in countless fights, yet somehow, like Puck said, they always made up.

"Damn, we're just messing around. Hey blondie, you sure you wanna come with this girl? She is one crazy chick."

"You better shut up or I will show you how crazy I really am," Santana retorts.

"I think I'll take my chances," Quinn admitted with a timid smile.

The boys held up their hands in defeat. "Whatever."

They continued their walk as Santana led the way to the pizza parlor, this was her neighborhood after all. Quinn followed, as she found herself still a little at awe at how – sort of – nice Santana was being. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought Santana actually _wanted _to come to dinner with her.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. As they sat down inside Quinn checked out the menu. When she looked up she noticed Santana was blankly staring at the table.

"If you didn't want pizza you should've just told me."

This caused Santana to look up. "It's not the pizza. I told you, I'm just not hungry."

"Then why did you decide to come?" Quinn asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well I couldn't really let you wander around this neighborhood by yourself, could I? If you don't know the place you could get into trouble."

"You were worried about me," Quinn replied with a grin, and she saw Santana getting somewhat annoyed. Though in this case, it was kind of amusing.

"No… I… Can't you just be grateful?"

Quinn couldn't help but smile. Santana _did _still care about her, and it gave her just that tiny bit of hope she needed. "Thanks, for sticking up for me back there."

"That's fine…"

"It was kinda sweet, really," Quinn teased, causing Santana to narrow her eyes at her.

"Don't push it Fabray."

Just as Quinn was about to respond they were both startled by the sound of Santana's phone. Santana pulled it out of her bag and checked it for messages. Quinn tried to gauge her reaction, yet she couldn't quite read the expression on her face.

"What is it?" Quinn asked.

A little dazed, Santana shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom for a sec. I'll be right back."

"Wait you didn't even order yet," Quinn tried to reason.

"You order, you seem to think you know what's good for me anyway," Santana replied without looking back.

Quinn contemplated on whether she should follow her or not. But then again, if Santana came back to find Quinn hadn't ordered yet she would definitely get busted. _She's only going to the bathroom, _she thought to herself. At least Santana wasn't in some kind of danger, and Quinn found relief in knowing that.

After Quinn ordered Santana returned to their table.

"You okay?" Quinn asked, seeing the worried expression on Santana's face.

Santana quickly shrugs it off. "Yeah, I'm fine."

* * *

**Five minutes earlier, a phone call went on in the bathroom.**

_"…I want to okay? But you need to tell her I can't, and that I'm doing this for her."_

_"I will come visit, soon. I promise."_

_"Tell her I miss her too."_

_"One last thing though."_

_"I know you told Quinn where I live."_

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Wallpaper by Staygold featuring Style of Eye & Pow**


	7. Do You Want It All

**Note:** As always, thank you for your reviews, follows and favorites!

* * *

"God I am so stuffed."

Quinn walked out the restaurant as Santana followed her a few steps behind. Quinn couldn't help but notice Santana was still a little out of it, not to mention she barely touched her pizza.

"Yeah, me too…" Santana mumbled as they made their way down the street.

Quinn turned to face her, staring at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about, you ate like nothing. Thought you said you were a hound or something?"

Santana shrugged. "I ate the salad didn't I?"

"Some hound you are... Guess coach Sylvester's diet is still haunting you," Quinn tried to joke.

This caused a smile to appear on Santana's face. "Maybe… Coach was brutal."

"No kidding," Quinn replied with a nod. "But I guess in the end it was only for the better."

"Yeah… It might have been hell, but taking home that trophy every time did feel pretty damn good…"

Quinn agreed as she smiled at the thought.

"It's getting late. Shouldn't you get back to your own apartment?" Santana asked, although for the first time it didn't seem like she meant it in suggestive manner.

"It's not like I have curfew," Quinn answered with a chuckle. "Besides, it's Saturday."

Santana furrowed her eyebrows and Quinn could've sworn she recognized that familiar devilish smile the girl used to wear. "Saturday night and _Quinn Fabray_ doesn't have plans?" Santana teased. "Don't you have like a party to go to? Thought you were in some nazi sorority."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "God Santana, it's not a nazi sorority. You know you're still annoying as always."

"Whatever. That doesn't change the fact that you're spending your Saturday night with me of all people. Why?" Santana asked, genuinely curious about the answer.

Quinn shrugged. "Thought maybe I could get you to apologize for slapping me."

Santana cocked an eyebrow. "You know you slapped me first, right."

"You deserved it," Quinn simply stated.

"And _you_ didn't?" Santana shot back with a frown.

Before Quinn could answer Santana interrupted her. "But… I crossed a line when I brought up Beth. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Quinn was surprised Santana actually apologized. She didn't realize how badly she needed to hear it until now.

"Thanks… I guess I was kind of a bitch too," Quinn admitted.

Santana let out a huff in response. "Yeah, _kind of._"

"Seriously? Now who's being a bitch?"

"We both are. That HBIC attitude doesn't wear off that easily," Santana answered with a subtle smirk.

"Guess that's why we tend to get under each other's skin."

"Guess so."

There's no way either of them could deny that, as it was clear they needed less than a day together to prove it. Yet still, however messed up, their friendship just worked that way. In the end, they weren't that different from each other.

"You totally slapped me harder though," Santana added, causing Quinn to roll her eyes in response.

"You really wanna do this?"

"I'm just saying."

"You're impossible."

"Oh come – ow!" Just as Santana was about to come back with some snappy remark a stranger bumped into her, knocking the breath out of her. Quinn watched Santana clutch her side and turned around to scold the guy.

"Hey can't you watch where you're going? The least thing you can do is apologize!"

The man turned to face them, clearly he hadn't noticed what he'd done. "I – I'm sorry. I didn't see –"

"_Ob_viously," Santana managed through gritted teeth.

"S – Sorry," was all the man got out before he walked away again.

"You okay?"

"Yeah it's… fine," Santana answered as she slowly composed herself.

"I still think you should see a doctor."

"It's not that bad, people just need to watch where they're walking!" Santana said the latter part rather loudly, adding a scowl, making sure none of the other strangers would even consider coming near.

Quinn couldn't help but find it just a little bit funny, it was like back in high school. All Santana had to do was shoot them a bitchy glare, and most students backed off immediately. _Guess that's a useful skill in New York, _she thought to herself.

"Let's just get you back inside," Quinn suggested.

Santana sighed before she nodded, and they made their way to Santana's apartment. Luckily they were already nearby.

"Need something to drink?" Quinn asked as Santana lowered herself onto the couch.

"Make yourself at home don't ya," Santana replied with a frown. Quinn had only visited her apartment for the first time today, yet she already walked around the place like she's been here forever.

"You did leave me here for two hours, I simply accommodated," Quinn answered as she pulled out a bottle of coke from the fridge.

"Diet coke okay?"

Santana nodded, and she once again found herself surprised at how sort of nice Quinn was being. It's been a while since anybody took the time to take care of her. It's not like she'd admit that she needed it, though misery does love company…

"So… How's CU? Still run that place?" Santana asked while Quinn poured her and herself a glass of coke.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "It's college, not high school. Nobody really _runs _that place."

She offered Santana her drink and sat down next to her.

"Really…" Santana replied, and Quinn couldn't help but notice the sarcastic tone of her voice.

"What?"

"Six months ago you would've jumped at the chance to brag about your college life. What's with the modesty?"

"Things change," Quinn spoke with a noticeable lack of emotion.

"Like what?" Santana asked.

Quinn sighed and Santana could see she was reluctant. "Sorry. Guess you don't owe me an explanation."

After a moment of silence, Quinn finally decided to say something. She knew if she were to gain Santana's trust, she'd have to give something away herself.

"You're not the only one I slapped this year," Quinn confessed.

_Why am I not surprised… _Santana thought to herself, though she bit back her words. "What happened?"

"You were right. About my teacher. He… was an asshole."

Santana raised an eyebrow. "I thought he was going through a divorce so you two could live happily ever after?"

Quinn shook her head. "After two months, he said he couldn't do it, but he also said he didn't want to stop seeing me."

"Are you kidding me? You didn't stay with him did you?" Santana asked in disbelief.

"No, no… I didn't. But he kept trying… He came onto me after classes… I was disgusted. So when I had enough of it I told him off, big time. Turns out, pissing off your teacher… is a bad idea."

"Dating one in the first place is a bad idea," Santana couldn't help but think out loud. Yeah, subtlety wasn't her thing. But she was aware of it. "Sorry, I didn't…"

"It's fine…" Quinn let out a spiteful laugh. "Here I was, thought I had it all, but… you were right. I did let yet another man define me, and nothing good has come out of it."

"Quinn –"

"I slapped him, _during_ class. I was such an idiot, but I just… God he was being so awful to me. And now he's being investigated by the school."

"Quinn stop, you don't –"

"Do you know I got kicked out of my sorority? I was bad for their reputation or whatever. Guess he was everyone's favorite teacher. Now, I'm the schools number one rumor, you should've seen all the looks I got… And not just from the students, from _everyone_…"

"Is that… why you moved out?" Santana asked carefully. She was just as surprised as Quinn, who had seemingly confessed more than she meant to.

Quinn nodded. Even though she wasn't in high school anymore, her reputation was still something she held in high regard, probably a lot more than she'd like to admit. And now everything was just such a mess.

"I'm sorry," Santana said as her expression softened.

This caused Quinn to look up. "What are you sorry for… You were right."

Santana shrugged. "I guess I'm sorry for being right."

Slowly a smile crept to Quinn's lips as she shook her head. "I can't believe I told you this."

"I can't believe I just apologized for being right," Santana replied with a small smile.

For a moment they sat in silence. Though this time, it wasn't an awkward silence. It was strangely comforting. Quinn didn't have to explain her feelings to Santana because she knew she understood. And Santana appreciated the fact that Quinn didn't ask her anything in return.

"Hey Quinn," Santana started.

Quinn lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

"What the hell was that pizza you ordered? I had like a bite and I can't get the damn taste out of my mouth."

"Seriously?" Quinn replied with a huff. "It was anchovies. And if you didn't like it you shouldn't have let me order."

Quinn was silently grateful for the distraction Santana offered. In whatever twisted way, she knew Santana was actually being nice.

"I wouldn't have if I knew you _that's_ what you were gonna pick. Worst date ever…" Santana said as a subtle smile made its way across her lips.

Quinn let out a chuckle. "It wasn't a date. But even if it was, it couldn't be that bad, you invited me in after all."

"I did _not_ invite you in. You invited yourself in," Santana retorted.

"Well you haven't told me to leave," Quinn pointed out.

"If I did would you go away?"

"No," Quinn replied, as if the answer was truly that simple.

Santana shrugged.

"Then I guess there's no point in telling you."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Do You Want It All by Two Door Cinema Club**


	8. Round And Round

Quinn ended up spending the night on Santana's couch. The neighborhood wasn't exactly the safest place even in broad day light, so letting her wander around at night was out of the question. Santana would never admit it out loud, but she enjoyed talking to Quinn. It felt familiar, and it was kind of nice to reminisce about the good times. She missed those, and oddly enough she even missed their constant bickering. As much as Quinn's bragging back then annoyed her 'til no end, she did feel bad about what happened with her teacher. Though, if she was being completely honest, the guy already seemed a douche bag to her from the moment Quinn brought him up six months ago. So her Mexican third eye was right all along.

The next morning Santana was the first to wake up. She tiptoed past the couch where Quinn was still fast asleep. As she watched the blonde for a moment she couldn't help but let out a small laugh. It's been a strange couple of days. The day before yesterday, she slept on Quinn's couch. And right now on the next day Quinn was sleeping on Santana's couch. She shook her head, the more she thought about it, the weirder it all seemed. However, she'll be gone soon enough Santana thought to herself. She would, right? People always seem to leave one way or another.

Silently she made her way to the bathroom. After taking a shower she threw on a hoodie, ever since she'd worn Quinn's she remembered how comfy they actually were. Since she was gonna be off from work for the week, she figured it couldn't hurt. Before walking out of the bathroom she paused in front of the mirror, bringing one hand up to her cheek as she lightly traced along the cuts on her face with her fingertips. The swelling of the bruises had gone down a little, but the colors were still evident. She let out a sigh. Why did this have to happen now? She hated that man for doing this to her. It wasn't so much of a superficial matter to her, but it did prevent her from getting to work again. And she needed the money for _her. _Then again, she really wanted to visit and now she had the time. But… she didn't want to worry her, which unfortunately was a given considering the bruises on her face. Puck's call left her feeling guilty for doing that very thing she hated. _Leaving_. Yet it seemed to have become a habit lately.

Though she believed coming to New York was the right decision. Lima was a small town, there was no way she'd make the kind of money she needed. Maybe, if she'd finished college she could've stayed to find a proper job in Lima, but apparently fate refused to give her the time. She hated college in Kentucky, and she would've moved to New York either way, but instead of trying to chase her own dreams she now worked at a strip club. A lot can happen in six months.

"Looks like it's getting a little better."

Santana cocked her head slightly as she spotted Quinn watching her through the mirror.

"I mean, your bruises," Quinn added. Santana noticed Quinn's hair was still messy from sleeping on the couch. But who was she to say anything, it still beat the mess on her own face.

"You're a bad liar Q," Santana replied as she turned around to look at Quinn.

"I wasn't lying. It does look better, I'm sure it'll heal in a couple of more days or so."

Santana shot her a faint smile before turning back at the mirror. "It better, I need to get to work soon."

She noticed Quinn's face slightly fell at hearing those words.

"Are you really going back there?"

"I am," Santana answered blankly. "Do you have to keep asking that?"

Quinn shook her head, clearly showing her annoyance. "Well I'm sorry if I'm worried about you wasting your talents."

Santana couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "…My talents, huh?"

Quinn sighed. "Look, I haven't given you enough credit for it back in McKinley, but you're an amazing dancer and you're an amazing singer. On top of that, you're smart. There's so much you can do."

"While I'm glad you've finally admitted it, it still doesn't change the fact that I _am_ going back," Santana answered nonchalantly. As if one compliment from Quinn Fabray would make it all alright. Of course this wasn't what she w_anted _to do, but sometimes certain circumstances leave you with no choice. Or at least so she thought.

For a moment Quinn didn't know what to say. It seemed like there was nothing that could stop Santana from going back there.

"If you want to take a shower, you can use one of the towels in the top drawer."

With that Santana walked out the door, leaving Quinn alone to her thoughts.

Quinn felt frustrated to see Santana act that way. It wasn't necessarily that Santana was being mean or anything like that, but watching her avoiding the trouble she was obviously in… it was like she didn't care. And Quinn even cared, so Santana had to right? Then why wouldn't she just let Quinn help? Every time she brought the topic up she felt Santana distance herself from her, both physically and emotionally. She never let Quinn get too close to her and it actually pained Quinn to see Santana do this alone. Because she didn't have to.

She took a quick shower before slipping back into yesterday's clothes. When she walked out the door she found that Santana had prepared her a bowl of cereal. It wasn't much work, but Quinn appreciated the fact that Santana even bothered to make her anything at all.

"Sorry. That's all I got," Santana admitted as Quinn sat down on the couch, accepting the bowl of cereal.

"That's fine, you didn't have to do that though."

"Well you are my guest…" Santana replied with a shrug, taking place next to Quinn.

Santana probably meant well, but Quinn couldn't help but wonder… "Is that all I am to you now? A _guest_?"

This caused Santana to look up at her. "What do you want from me Q? You think that just because we talked we're automatically best friends again?"

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. "No, but – you know what, forget it. I just thought that after all this maybe we could at least be _friends._"

"Can't you just… leave it for what it is?"

"And what would that be?"

"Look," Santana started out with a sigh. "I'm just grateful you took care of me, I showed my appreciation and after today we can both just go our own ways."

Normally, this would have set Quinn off. But because of the past two days she actually expected Santana to turn her down, so Quinn simply shook her head. "No."

Santana cocked her eyebrow. "No?"

Quinn looked up into Santana's eyes, her gaze making it impossible for Santana to look away. "You asked me what I want from you. I _want_ you to see you don't have to do everything alone. Why do you keep pushing me away?"

"I'm not," Santana contradicted with a hardened expression.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh a little. "Seriously, you're even gonna try and deny that?"

Quinn noticed the Latina's muscles tensing, Santana looked more and more agitated by the second. She opened her mouth but Quinn cut her off before she could say anything.

"Right now, I know you want to ask me to leave. And that proves my point."

Santana shook her head in annoyance. "That doesn't prove _shit._ Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I just don't like to talk about my problems?"

"You've made that pretty clear," Quinn replied as she noticed how Santana was affected. "Look I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you but… you have to understand that I just want to help."

"I'm not some kind of charity case. I have a job, I can take care of myself."

"That job could've cost you your life," Quinn pointed out.

"Don't be so overdramatic, it wasn't that big of a deal."

And there it was. _That_, was exactly what upset Quinn most. How could Santana even still try to make light of the situation when she clearly wasn't okay? "Not that big of a – how can you say that? If I hadn't showed up that night he might've killed you! And you're telling me this is not a big deal? Do your parents even know about this?"

Santana faced Quinn with a raged look in her eyes. "Quinn, stop."

"No, I won't! Despite the fact that you may not consider me your friend, you're still mine, and I can't just stand by and watch you ruin your life."

"Then walk away." Santana's piercing gaze made Quinn think she was actually daring her to do it, and it was frustrating to say the least.

"Oh my god are you even listening?!"

All of the sudden Santana broke eye contact. "You know what, if you're not gonna leave, _I_ am."

She quickly got up and threw on her jacket before making her way outside. But this time, Quinn wasn't going to let her walk away again. Santana needed to realize she wouldn't get rid of Quinn that easily. She put on her shoes and chased Santana down the stairs, following her outside.

Santana stopped to light a cigarette before she noticed Quinn had followed her. When she saw Quinn step in front of her she was caught off guard.

"What are you – why are you following me? For God's sake, can't you even let me leave?"

"I did that,_ four times_. But I'm not gonna let you walk away again, not this time," Quinn spoke as she firmly stood her ground. "Last night, I told you I wasn't going to leave you. I meant it."

Santana shook her head. "Why are you doing this Quinn?"

"Do what?" Quinn asked, still not moving an inch.

"Why do you keep pushing your way back in when I'm offering you an out?"

Quinn opened her mouth, only to close it again. It finally hit her. In that moment, Quinn realized this wasn't about _Santana_ wanting her to leave. No, this was about her thinking that Quinn would want to leave her instead. And suddenly it all made sense, Santana _was_ pushing her away, but only because she believed she'd beat Quinn to it.

"Santana…"

"No, don't give me that! Why do you even want to help me?"

"Because…" Quinn paused for a moment. "If it were me, wouldn't you have done the same thing?"

Santana's face suddenly softened a bit. She sighed before leaning her back against the wall behind her. She didn't run away. To Quinn, that was progress.

She may not have answered Quinn's question, but she didn't deny it, and that was the only answer Quinn really needed.

* * *

******Song / Chapter Title: Round And Round by Imagine Dragons**


	9. I Will Follow

The next week Quinn had to go back to CU. Yet she held her promise, she came back to visit Santana every single day after class. They talked, for the most time. They argued, for a lot of the time. For some strange reason they had grown accustomed to this way of communicating. Quinn would always say she was there to help, but she couldn't deny that she was starting to enjoy spending time with Santana. Though she couldn't help but feel things might change when Monday comes, because Monday was the day Santana had to get back to work. Quinn still hoped she could somehow change Santana's mind before that time, but of course her attempts to convince her were to no avail.

Today was Friday, exactly one week after Quinn ran into Santana. Quinn found herself in front of Santana's door once again. She knocked on the door and not too long after the door flung open as she was met with Santana's gaze. The cuts and bruises on her face were clearly healing, with a little make-up they were barely visible. Yet Quinn also had been noticing Santana's side still seemed to bother her, there were numerous times this week Quinn caught her wincing at certain movements.

"Back again?"

"Don't act surprised." Quinn smiled as Santana let her pass through.

"Well forgive me if I am. Though you've been spending an awful lot of time here, if I didn't know any better I'd start to think you're into me," Santana teased, causing Quinn to roll her eyes at her.

"Yeah, _sure._"

"So why are you here?" Santana asked as she lowered herself onto couch.

Quinn cocked an eyebrow. "I was going to ask you to come out for coffee, but I wouldn't want you to take it the wrong way."

A small smile made its way across Santana's lips as she shook her head. "Funny, Fabray."

Quinn returned a smile. "So are you coming or not?"

She noticed Santana was hesitant, so Quinn tried to convince her. "Come on, what else are you gonna do here all day? I know you don't have plans."

This seemed to have offended Santana. "What makes you think I've got nothing else to do? I might have visitors."

"Do you?" Quinn asked with a frown.

Santana let out a huff in annoyance, but she didn't respond. Truth be told, besides Quinn she hasn't had visitors in weeks. Or maybe even months, she couldn't really tell anymore.

"Thought so," Quinn spoke with a somewhat pleased look on her face. "Now put on your shoes and let's get you out of here before that couch swallows you whole."

Santana rolled her eyes but did as she was told, clearly there was no point in arguing here. She got up and ready before following Quinn outside. Taking the cab, they made their way to a small bistro Quinn had talked about earlier this week.

"So how are you feeling? Your side still hurt a lot?" Quinn asked after they ordered.

"It's alright I guess," Santana answered with a shrug.

Quinn looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Why even bother asking if you're not gonna believe me anyway?"

"Why bother lying if you know I won't believe you?" Quinn retorted. Their constant bickering had pretty much become second nature, especially over these past few days.

Frustrated, Santana shook her head. "God you're annoying."

"_That's_ your answer?"

"Shut up," Santana snapped back in defeat. "How was class anyway?"

"_Alright I guess_," Quinn quoted, shooting Santana a quick glance in the hopes that the girl would catch on.

"Very subtle Q."

"I try."

The waiter returned with their coffee as they both thanked him.

"So can I ask you something?" Quinn started after she took a sip.

"What," Santana replied reluctantly.

"What happened to college in Kentucky?"

Santana hesitated for a moment. "It just wasn't what I wanted to do," she admitted.

_And this job is? _Quinn thought to herself, but she knew saying that out loud would be the start of an argument. Thus, she went with a more gentle approach. "So… How did you end up here with this job?"

Santana simply shrugged. "I've always wanted to go to New York. And when I got here someone recognized my hot piece of ass and asked me if I wanted to work for him. He offered me a job at that strip club."

"So you just took it?" Quinn asked in disbelief. There was no way this was the whole story.

"It was good money, so I figured why not?"

_Why not? _Quinn could think of a thousand reasons. Once she thought about Santana's answer, she realized something else.

"If you earn that much, then how come you're living in that neighborhood?" Quinn continued, wanting to get more answers out of her. She had some assumptions, but she couldn't ask Santana about _her _or she'd find out that Quinn eavesdropped on her phone call. And Quinn was sure Santana wouldn't take it lightly.

Santana thought for a moment before she answered. "Apartments in New York are expensive, you know that. Or maybe you don't, you seem to be fine in that fancy little place of yours."

Once again, Santana was being evasive. Quinn figured she'd lose that attitude at some point, but the Latina was more adamant than Quinn initially thought. "Don't turn this around, I know what you're doing," she spoke, earning herself an annoyed expression from Santana.

"Really… Then enlighten –"

"Oh my god, Santana? And Quinn!"

The sudden interruption caused both girls to look up as they were greeted with two familiar faces.

"Well if it isn't the hummelberry clan…" Santana replied with a sigh. She hadn't seen Rachel or Kurt for a long time, but she'd be lying if she said she was excited about seeing them now. She was doing just fine by herself, what was up with these people running into her?

Quinn on the other hand came together with them for coffee every once in a while. "Hey guys," she greeted as she stood up from her chair, pulling Rachel into a hug.

Once Rachel released herself she looked at Santana. "Santana, what are you doing in New York?"

"I uhm… I live here."

This obviously caught both Rachel and Kurt off guard. "What? Why didn't you tell us?" Kurt asked, seemingly offended as Rachel mimicked his expression.

"I… I've been busy," Santana confessed. Quinn watched Santana struggle to answer them, and she couldn't help but feel a little bad for her.

Rachel was about to question her, but before she could open her mouth Santana stood up. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," and with that she walked away.

Quinn knew Santana just wanted to avoid the interrogation that Rachel and Kurt would most certainly start, so she didn't stop her.

The perky twosome stood there with their mouth agape. "What –"

"Just let her go," Quinn interjected.

Rachel and Kurt took a seat at the table, clearly waiting for an explanation. But what was Quinn going to say? She herself didn't even know what Santana was going through, so how was she supposed to explain this?

"Quinn, what's going on?" Rachel started.

"She's just dealing with some stuff," Quinn answered. That much she could tell.

"What _stuff_?" Kurt asked, not any less confused than two seconds ago.

Suddenly Quinn started to realize how it must've felt for Santana when Quinn kept asking her all these questions. It was pretty frustrating.

"I honestly don't know," Quinn admitted with a sigh. "What I do know is that she doesn't like to talk about it. So… could you guys please not push it when she comes back?"

Rachel shook her head. "Quinn if something's going on don't you think we should help?"

"I'm trying to, okay? But bombing her with questions isn't going to help, I would know."

Rachel lifted an eyebrow in response. "How much time have you been spending with her? I thought you guys were in a fight?"

Quinn shrugged. "We were… But she apologized, I think we're okay now. More or less…"

"She apologized?" Kurt asked in disbelief. "Now I _know_ something's wrong. This is bad," he spoke as he exchanged a worried look with Rachel, who merely nodded in agreement.

Quinn let out a sigh. If only they'd seen the way Quinn found Santana on the street that night.

"Guys… I know it's hard not to ask her all these questions, but can you try?" Quinn pleaded.

Rachel and Kurt were about to argue but then they noticed Santana was approaching the table.

"Please," Quinn mouthed to them one last time before Santana sat down. She looked uncomfortable to say the least. And who could blame her.

"So… Santana, how long have you been in New York?" Rachel asked carefully.

Santana shot her a faint smile. "I guess four months or so…"

"Oh…" Rachel replied, a little hurt.

"And how are you guys doing…"

Words couldn't describe how stupid Santana felt for asking, when she hasn't even bothered to tell them anything at all over the past few months.

"We're good," Rachel answered for the both of them. "Kurt and I are both still in NYADA, and it's been a blast so far."

"So what happened to you? Thought you were in Kentucky?" Kurt asked as he narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"Wasn't my thing… So I decided to move to New York."

"What do you do here? You said you were… _busy_, right?" Kurt continued.

Quinn caught the guilty look on Santana's face.

"I work at a club." It _was _the truth, more or less anyway.

"Oh really? Where?" Rachel asked.

"Somewhere uptown…" Santana spoke hesitantly.

"What's it called? Maybe Kurt and I can come by some time."

Quinn knew Santana wasn't going to take it for much longer, so she decided to step in.

"Santana, doesn't the movie start soon? We should get going."

Santana realized Quinn offered her an opportunity to escape, and she gladly took it. "Right, sorry guys…"

"Okay…" Kurt answered as he and Rachel were both left confused. "I guess… we'll see you around?"

"Definitely," Quinn replied, quickly exchanging a glance with two of them. She pulled a ten dollar bill out of her wallet and put it on the table. She stood up as Santana quickly joined her.

"It was good to see you guys," Santana spoke before shooting them a smile. It might not have been the most convincing one, but it was a smile nonetheless.

They made their way outside, Kurt and Rachel awkwardly watched them leave. Though Santana was simply glad to get out of there.

"Thanks…" Santana said softly as she looked up at Quinn.

Quinn smiled at her. As much as she would've loved to interrogate Santana just as badly as Kurt and Rachel, Santana needed someone on her side. Why Quinn wanted to be the one to do it? She didn't know.

"What are you doing?" Quinn asked as she watched Santana fumble her pockets. She pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to Quinn.

"Coffee's on me. I guess I owe you…"

Quinn shook her head. "Keep it."

Annoyed, Santana frowned at her. "I'm trying to be nice. Would you just let me do this?"

"Fine," Quinn replied with a small grin. "I'll let you pay. But remember, this was _not a date_," Quinn teased, causing Santana to let out a huff.

"Well aren't you hilarious…"

After a short walk down the street Santana asked, "So, what movie are we watching anyway?"

Quinn cocked an eyebrow. "You _do_ know I made that up right?"

Santana shrugged. "I know. But these are my last days off, figured… Movies doesn't sound that bad…"

This made Quinn smile.

"Well then let's go."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: I Will Follow by Katie Herzig**


	10. Day 'N' Nite

"Well that was a waste," Quinn started as they walked out of the theatre. They ended up watching Scary Movie 5, much to both girls' dismay.

"No kidding…" Santana agreed, still at awe.

Quinn pulled out her phone to check for messages, and as expected she received one from Rachel as well as Kurt.

**_20:21 __RACHEL: So when are you gonna tell us more about what's going on? Seriously you guys just left!_**

**_20:45 KURT: You can't ignore us!_**

Santana watched Quinn read her texts. "Let me guess, it's either Berry or Hummel."

Quinn looked up to face Santana. "Both, actually. And you can't really blame them for being confused."

She quickly sent a text back to Kurt.

_**23:02 Sorry, we were at the movies so I had to turn off my phone.**_

Santana stopped to think about their rather awkward conversation earlier, but then quickly shrugged it off. "Whatever… You were the one who helped me get out in the first place, why'd you do it?"

"Because you would've walked off either way."

"I was n–" Santana was about to argue before Quinn interrupted her again.

"Oh please. Tell me you were gonna sit and stay there while they find out you work at a strip club. You wouldn't even have told me if I hadn't run into you there that night."

"I… ugh," Santana scoffed as she swallowed back her words, Quinn was right and she knew it.

"Damn right," Quinn stated almost proudly.

Santana arched an eyebrow. "You think you got me all figured out don't ya?"

"I would like to think so, yeah. But the truth is, I still don't know that much aside from the fact that you work at a strip club," Quinn replied, hinting for an answer.

"You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Not anytime soon, you know that."

"I'm starting to believe that…" Santana answered with a sigh.

Quinn caught a slight hint of defeat in her voice, and quickly tried to make use of it. "Santana, I just want to help. Look, I care about you and… I know you care about me too. Why does there have to be such a distance between us?"

Santana smiled at this. "What makes you so sure I even give two craps about you?"

"Well, you did hang out with me all week," Quinn replied casually.

"I'd prefer to call it you stalking me."

Quinn shook her head. "Hey you didn't kick me out, and I never forced you to come with me for lunch, dinner, all of that. You know what, I think you actually _like_ hanging out with me," Quinn teased as a smirk gradually appeared on her face, making it Santana's turn to shake her head.

"Maybe I was just being polite."

This caused Quinn to laugh. "I doubt that, since _when_ is Santana Lopez _ever_ polite?"

Annoyed, Santana furrowed her eyebrows. "Since _when_ are you miss know-it-all?"

Quinn just couldn't help herself. "Are you implying that I'm right?"

"I am _this_ close to slapping you again."

"I know you won't. Just admit it S, you like spending time with me."

To Quinn's surprise Santana's usual clever remark took longer than she expected. Suddenly she noticed Santana had halted her movement.

"Santana?"

Quinn's eyes followed Santana's line of sight, and she quickly found that Santana was looking at a group of guys. They looked older, from what Quinn could tell. Before she could ask who they were Santana suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into a side street.

"Santana wha –"

Just as she tried to say something Santana hushed her, leaving her confused, and slightly offended. She didn't get the time to question or scold the girl, because soon enough Santana continued to walk away in a quick pace, still firmly grabbing onto Quinn's hand.

When they stopped at the end of an alley Quinn couldn't hold it in any longer. "What the hell was that about? Who were those guys?"

Santana shook her head. "It's just that one guy. You don't wanna run into him."

Quinn couldn't help but feel like this was a little strange. Santana didn't seem scared of any of the creeps in her own neighborhood, so why hide from this one?

"What about him? Santana what's going on?"

Santana ran a hand through her hair, trying to figure out what to say. She didn't want to involve Quinn in this, but after dragging her down the street like that Quinn was definitely going to need some answers.

"Don't you dare tell me it was nothing!" Quinn continued, still waiting for an explanation.

"He was a customer at the strip club… And I guess you could say I owe him some money," Santana confessed reluctantly.

"What? Why would you borrow money from someone like that? _No_, why would you borrow money at all?!" Quinn asked in disbelief.

"I… I just needed it. I can pay him back as soon as I start working again. Don't worry about it."

"No, you can't say that. You just dragged me down this alley to avoid that guy, and that tells me he could be dangerous. What the hell did you need that kind of money for?"

Santana let out a sigh as she tried to get it together, but Quinn was far from ready to drop this.

"Does this have to do something with… _her_?"

Quinn had been toying around with the question of who this person is all week. She didn't want to bring it up because Santana would've found out she'd been listening to her talking on the phone, but right now, she didn't feel like holding back. She needed answers. Santana shot up at hearing Quinn's last words, and Quinn knew she'd caught Santana off guard.

"What are you talking about?"

Before Quinn could answer, Santana filled in the blanks herself. "Have you been eavesdropping on my phone calls?!" Santana asked, now clearly agitated.

"Well it's not like I did it on purpose! I was standing in front of your door and your walls aren't exactly soundproof!" Quinn tried to defend.

Santana shook her head. "I can't believe you."

Even though Quinn had expected this reaction, Santana's response was frustrating nonetheless. "I didn't hear much okay? And you can't blame me for accidentally walking in on one of your secret conversations!"

"Well you could've knocked, but instead you decided to stay and listen!"

Just like Santana, Quinn was getting all fired up now. "I wouldn't have done it if you weren't acting so damn mysterious! And that was like a week ago, damn it Santana, when are you gonna start trusting me and tell me who you're doing this for?"

Santana looked at Quinn in disbelief. "Do you even realize how hypocritical that sounds right now?! You know what, I'm gonna take the cab home by myself, and don't you dare follow me."

Just as Santana was about to walk out the alley she was stopped in her movements. A tall man stepped in front of her. Quinn's face fell as she noticed this was the man Santana tried to avoid. She didn't know much – or anything, really – about this guy, yet she couldn't help this eerie feeling in her gut.

"Lopez, I thought I recognized you… You weren't trying to run away were you?" the man asked, his gaze lingering over Santana.

"I… I didn't see you," Santana answered, trying to keep herself composed.

The man let out a small laugh. "Right…"

Santana took a step back. "We were just on our way to meet someone, we should g –"

"Who's your friend?" the man asked as he pointed at Quinn, who frozenly stood a few steps behind Santana.

He watched Quinn with a smug grin, causing Santana to clench her fists. "Leave her out of this."

The man shook his head. "Well aren't you sweet."

Santana shot Quinn a quick glance, trying to see if she was okay. Even with their fresh argument, she didn't want anything to happen to her. She noticed Quinn tried to pretend she wasn't intimidated, yet she looked scared, mostly. Santana cursed herself for what she had gotten them into, this was her fault. She turned back to face the man, hoping to minimize the consequences.

"Please just… I'll get you the money okay?"

"And when would that be? You know what, I like you, therefore I have been quite patient with you…" he stepped closer, his hand slowly hovering upwards to touch Santana's cheek. "…But you know I'm not gonna play nice guy forever."

Santana stood still as her muscles tensed, she tried not to show her disgust at the man's touch. You'd think she'd be good at it, considering her experience as a stripper… Yet her temper was a bitch, so holding back a punch was hard to say the least.

"I don't have it right now, but I start working on Monday again… Just give me a month." Santana wasn't sure if she could actually manage that, but she had to say something to get this guy away from her, away from Quinn.

His mouth curved into a sly smile as he ran a hand through Santana's hair. "Don't play with me girl… Or I might have to take some… measures."

He moved over to Quinn, taking in the sight in front of him. Quinn gave him her best glare but it didn't seem to have any effect. He didn't budge, he simply continued to move closer. "So… is this your girlfriend?" the man asked.

Santana quickly snapped her head back to keep an eye on Quinn. "She's not. She's got nothing to do with this, so if you dare lay a finger on her –"

The man laughed as he turned back to face Santana. "Then what?"

She couldn't help but grit her teeth. She knew she shouldn't push his buttons, but what else was she supposed to do? She could never forgive herself if anyone were to get hurt because of her stupid mistakes. "I swear to God I will –"

Before she could finish the man pushed his hand up against her throat forcefully, making it nearly impossible for the air to escape from her lungs. "You can't touch me. I can break you like a goddamn twig," he growled.

This shook Quinn out of her trance. "Santana!"

"Quinn…" Santana managed to breathe out. "G – Go…"

"Forget it!"

Santana was in trouble and there was no way Quinn could just walk away like Santana had asked her to. She quickly approached the man in an attempt to… what, exactly? She was a just a little blonde girl trying to beat up an over two hundred pound man. This was a lose/lose situation, but it didn't matter, she had to help Santana, because that's what she promised to do. Before she could take a swing however, the man suddenly let go of Santana. Her breathing was still ragged, but Quinn was relieved to find that she at least was alive.

"Easy there blondie. I'm not going to kill her, now that would be… stupid. I still haven't got my money," the man spoke with a laugh.

He turned back to Santana who was still coughing as she tried to catch her breath. He approached her and whispered, "Next time, you might want to watch your temper… And don't you try and run away, because I _will_ find you. See you in a month."

And with that he walked away, whistling like he did nothing at all.

Quinn quickly raced to Santana's side, putting her hands up to the girls' cheeks as she tried to see if she was okay.

"Santana are you –"

"I can't have you around anymore," Santana broke Quinn off, as soon as she'd gained the breath to say the words.

"What? Santana you're crazy if you think –"

Santana looked up at Quinn, staring right into Quinn's eyes as she pleaded for the girl to listen.

"You need to go."

* * *

**Three months ago**

_It's been a month since Santana started working at the strip club. She still hated showing up there, but she needed the money. It was hard for her not to show her worries, though she knew she had to keep it together. Still, even though she had made enough money so far, Puck's latest update had thrown her off. And it became clear that it wasn't enough anymore. _

_"A raise?"_

_"Please, I need the money. I can work harder, or something."_

_"Santana, you already get more tips than most girls around here. I'm not going to give you a raise, you've only been working here for a month."_

_"Come on, just –"_

_"The answer is no, Santana. We're done here."_

_Defeated, Santana watched her boss walk away. Now what? Even with tips she couldn't get together the amount of money she needed in time. And there was nobody to help her out. She'd been trying to get a loan at the bank but it got declined within days. Despite her reasonable salary she only just got started, and her bank account wasn't exactly filled. She sat at the bar during her break. Just as she was about to order a shot, she was greeted by a man. _

_"Excuse me. Can I buy you a drink?"_

_"I'm on a break," Santana answered coldly. "So you can get lost now." She was in no mood for customers._

_The man let out a little laugh, seemingly amused by Santana's attitude. _

_"Feisty. I like that."_

_Santana simply shook her head, refusing to look at him._

_"I overheard you talking to your boss earlier," he continued._

_This caused Santana to look up. "So?"_

_"I couldn't help but notice, you seem to be in need of some extra money."_

_Santana let out a huff in response. "I'm not having sex with you, if that's what you were going to ask."_

_"Tempting, but… no, I just want to… help."_

_"Yeah? Well I don't need your help."_

_"Are you sure? You seemed to be quite desperate."_

_"Wha – Who the hell are you anyway?"_

_"Just a guy that can offer you some money." _

_The man subtly shoved a cheque towards her._

_Santana looked down at the piece of paper and swallowed as soon as she saw the amount of money written on it. "Why would you offer this kind of money to strangers?"_

_"Maybe I'm just a nice guy."_

_"Or maybe you're just some creep who thinks he can win over girls with his shiny wallet."_

_"Does it matter? Money is money."_

_Santana narrowed her eyes at the man. There was something off about him, yet she couldn't quite place it. Creep or no creep, for a moment she considered taking the money. She really did need it… And her boss made it rather clear he wasn't planning on giving her a raise. But she'd be owing this guy a huge favor, and she knew absolutely nothing about him… _

_"Consider it a loan."_

_Santana didn't know what to say, and the internal struggle showed on her face._

_"You can pay me back as soon as you've earned the money." _

_Santana kept watching the cheque, and she knew this was exactly what she needed. Yet, she couldn't – or shouldn't – be stupid enough to take it right? For all she knew, this man could be dangerous. This was New York, you can never really tell. And what normal person would hand out cheques like that? Then again… This money could save __**her **__life. Was there even a choice?_

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Day 'N' Nite by Kid Cudi**


	11. I Know You Care

_"I can't have you around anymore," Santana spoke as soon as she'd gained the breath to say the words._

_"What? Santana you're crazy if you think –"_

_Santana looked up at Quinn, staring right into Quinn's eyes as she pleaded for the girl to listen._

_"You need to go."_

"No!" Quinn yelled back, her voice slightly cracking as she continued. "Y – You can't tell me to go because I'm not… I'm not leaving you like this!"

"Well I _am _telling you to go."

"Are you even –"

"Please," Santana struggled to add.

"You think that just because you said please that it would make this all alright?!" Suddenly Quinn noticed she felt tears forming in her eyes.

"Quinn, this guy is unpredictable! He knows you now, and I don't know what the hell goes on in his head or what he might do to you if you stick around! Are you really willing to risk your life?"

"I…"

Quinn wasn't prepared for that question. Up until five minutes ago she had no idea of how serious the situation really was. She had still not taken into account that she might be putting _herself_ in danger… Because that's what it meant, right? Quinn failed to give Santana a confident answer and it showed.

Santana shook her head. "Even if you are, I'm _not_."

"Santana…" Quinn tried.

Santana held up her hand as if to stop her, or save her, really.

"Don't. I'll be fine."

And with that, Santana walked away, leaving an upset Quinn behind. She could've come after her, but what could she say right now that would make a difference? There wasn't a clear answer to _any_ of this. Like a delayed reaction, she stepped out onto the street, hoping she could still catch a glimpse of Santana, but she was nowhere to be found. After last week Quinn thought they were done with this little dance. Then again, that was last week. Tonight was different. Quinn hadn't expected something this… bad.

Defeated, Quinn held out her hand to catch a cab. Right now, home was the only place she could think straight. She needed time to process. During the ride home the cabdriver kept looking at her through the mirror, asking Quinn if she was alright. _No_, she was far from alright.

"I'm fine," was her answer nonetheless.

She paid the cabdriver and quickly paced to the building. As soon as she walked into her apartment she leaned her back against the door, slumping down as if her legs couldn't carry her weight anymore. Angry and frustrated, she threw her keys across the room.

"Fuck!"

She ran her a hand through her hair. What the hell was she supposed to do? At this point, Quinn's emotions were all over the place.

She was angry at herself, for letting Santana walk away, _again. _She was angry at Santana for not telling her about the trouble she was in, that she didn't _trust_ Quinn enough to tell her anything. This girl was just impossible.

Yet maybe… Santana's lack of trust wasn't the problem here… Maybe it was Quinn's fault. She did in fact understand why Santana chose to leave her in the dark about this. And just maybe, after tonight, a small part of her wished she could've stayed there… She wanted to be the one to help Santana out, she really did. She wished she could be her savior and make it all go away, but that wasn't reality. The reality was that Quinn was _petrified_. Santana knew this and used it as an excuse to send her away. Could she blame Santana for that? Quinn had never dealt with something like this before, and never did she expect to ever have to. But still…

Santana was scared, too. And she was all alone.

Quinn saw that Santana was doing her best to seem brave, confident, but after tonight's encounter, it was easy to see through the act. Quinn knew Santana tried her hardest to keep it all together, but really, she was falling apart. All week Quinn had been accusing Santana of not caring about anything, but of course she did. She was just as scared.

_Damn it._

And still, Santana put Quinn's safety before her own. Quinn wanted to slap her all over again just because of doing something foolish like that, she could've gotten herself killed. _God she's such an idiot… _Why the hell would she do something so stupid? And then, Quinn remembered something. Her own words, to be exact.

_"If it were me, wouldn't you have done the same thing?"_

In that moment, Santana didn't say anything. But tonight was the answer, and… _Shit,_ it was blatantly obvious. All of the sudden Quinn realized, Santana created this distance not just to protect herself, it was to protect everyone around her. When put in perspective – as much as possible anyway – it was actually all crystal clear, wasn't it? If even in a situation like this Santana would try to protect Quinn, Quinn would do the same for her. Santana was her friend, and despite all the issues they might have had, it didn't change the fact they cared about each other. Through it all they supported each other when it came down to it... And this, shouldn't be any different. Simple as that.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't scared, but the truth is, Quinn couldn't walk away from this, nor did she want to.

Yes, Santana was an idiot. She was impossible. She was incredibly stubborn. She crept under Quinn's skin like no other. And now, Santana was still all of that, yet something has changed. Spending this week with Santana had affected Quinn more than she thought, and right now she realized that more than ever. Santana had drawn Quinn to her, despite her best efforts to do the opposite. Why? Who knows… What's another mystery? All Quinn knew was that her friend was in need, and she would do whatever it takes to help. Because that's what… _friends_… do… right?

She got up and started wandering across the room, trying to walk her nerves out. Not that it worked. She knew she wanted to help, but where to start? She fumbled her bag and pulled out her phone. For a moment she simply stared at the screen. She considered calling Santana, but she was certain she wouldn't pick up the phone right now. Especially not after Quinn made her feel like she gave up. She shook her head, how could she have let this happen? She froze up and let the fear take over, and it was exactly what Santana had expected her to do. She needed to make this right. She scrolled down and started dialing Puck's number instead. Despite the fact she felt a little angry – no, just plain angry at this point – about Puck's absence in all of this… If anyone could help her figure things out, it was him. Almost immediately, the phone was picked up.

"Puck, I need you need to listen to me, I –"

_"Whoa Quinn, hello to you too?"_

"Puck I'm serious, Santana needs our help."

_"What do you mean? What's wrong?"_

There was something in the casual way he said it, that upset Quinn.

"What's wrong…? Everything!"

_"What the hell are you talking about? The last time you called you said she was doing fine!"_

"Well she's not fine, and you would've known that if you were here! She works as a damn stripper for crying out loud! And now I just found out that she is being threatened. A man tried to _kill_ her Puck, she clearly needs help so where the hell are you in all of this?!"

For a moment, it was silent on the other end of the line.

_"I… What… What do you mean a man tried to kill her? And she's a… stripper?"_

This time it was Quinn's turn to be surprised. "You didn't know..?"

_"No Quinn! What the hell, do you seriously think I would've let her do that if I knew?!"_

"I just… I didn't… What did she say to you?"

_"She said worked at a goddamn club! Fuck, she never told me she meant a strip club! Damn it Santana…"_

Quinn could tell Puck really had no idea, clearly he felt guilty.

_"And who tried to kill her?! Quinn what the fuck is going on there!"_

"This guy…" Quinn started. "He…"

_"What guy?!"_

Clearly Puck was starting to catch on too, he was getting more and more nervous.

"She said he was a customer at the strip club… and that she owed him money… Puck, this guy is dangerous, tonight he tried to strangle her and I don't know what he's going to do if she doesn't get him the money in time!"

_"Shit…"_

"That's all you have to say?!"

_"I should've known something was up… That money… She said she saved up or something, and that she got this promotion whatever… God I'm so stupid for believing her."_

"Wait, you knew about the money?"

_"Yeah…"_

"…Why? What do you have to do with it? And why is she doing all of this?"

_"I… She asked me to __–_"

_"Noah, are you there?" _suddenly another voice sounded on the other end of the line. It was definitely a female voice, but it sounded so distant Quinn could barely make out the words. It did sound familiar, however.

"Puck?" Quinn tried.

_"I'll be right there, I'm on the phone."_

"Where are you?" Quinn asked, still confused. But the conversation in the background took over, and the voice started to sound clearer.

_"Who are you talking to? Is that Santana? Give me that phone."_

_"Whoa, stay there, you shouldn't get up. The doctors said –"_

Doctors? Were they in the hospital?

_"Screw the doctors, I need to talk to my daughter."_

_"No wait, it's not –"_

_"Santana? You come back home right now! This has been going on long enough! You think that just because you let Noah babysit me I would stop worrying about you? You know better than that, you should not be taking this all on yourself. You need to worry less about me and more about you Santana, I am your mother and I will not let you throw away your life for me! You should not put your dreams on hold to work at some club… You do not deserve that. You are strong, smart, and beautiful and I want your future to be bright because __**that **__is what you deserve. Listen, it's not your fault mija… You are not responsible for taking care of me, it is my job to take care of you. Please… mija… come home, we will find another way."_

_"Santana?"_

"It – It's Quinn…"

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: I Know You Care by Ellie Goulding**


	12. Turn It Down

_"Santana?"_

"It – It's Quinn…"

_"Oh… Hi Quinn…"_

For a moment it was silent. Mrs. Lopez probably felt awkward but it could not compare to what Quinn was feeling right now. The conversation had completely thrown her off guard.

_"Quinn, I'm sorry… I thought… I thought you were Santana…"_

"I – It's fine. I'm sorry too…"

_"Sweetheart why are you sorry?"_

"Just… For whatever happened…"

_"Okay momma Lopez that's enough," _Puck's voice suddenly sounded._ "You should lay down."_

_"Noah I am a grown woman, I appreciate your concern but I do not need you to tell me what to do!"_

Like mother, like daughter…

_"Please, Santana asked me to keep an eye on you and that's all I'm doing. Now I don't want to call the nurses but…"_

_"Dios mio, fine fine, I'm getting back to bed. But you need to tell Santana to call me! I really need to talk to her."_

_"I'll let her know. Now if you don't mind, can I talk to Quinn again?"_

_"Oh… Right. I'm sorry for that Quinn. You did not need to hear all of that."_

"That's… okay."

_"Goodbye Quinn."_

"Bye Mrs. Lopez."

_"I'll be right in the hallway if you need me," _Puck's voice called out before turning his focus back to Quinn.

_"Quinn."_

Quinn didn't respond. She was still trying to process what she just heard. Even though Mrs. Lopez' words weren't meant for Quinn, they struck her heart. Santana was doing all of this to take care of her mother? Santana put her own life at risk to do it. It was crazy. It was stupid, without a doubt. Yet however drastic, Quinn now understood why Santana would go to such lengths. Simply because if it were her own mother, she'd do the same.

_"Quinn!"_

That shook her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry… I… Puck… What… What's wrong? With Santana's mom?"

A sigh on the other end of the line.

"Puck?" Quinn tried again, needing to get more answers.

_"She had a heart attack a while back… They said that it damaged her heart or something… She's been in the hospital so they can watch her, and give her the meds she needs. But like a few weeks ago she's been getting worse. The doctors said she needed surgery… And it's expensive Quinn…"_

"The money… Santana… Why is she the one to take care of this…? Where the hell is her dad?"

_"Well… She didn't tell me that much about what happened… but I know her dad left them, right before her mom had that heart attack."_

"Oh my god…" It was all Quinn could say. Just cruel fate couldn't begin to justify this. This is what Santana had been dealing with? Santana put her own life on hold to take the responsibility that was never meant to be hers in the first place… Quinn didn't know Santana's dad very well, but right now she loathed the man for walking out on his family. Not to mention bad timing was an understatement… Or was it related? Why did he leave? _What happened Santana…_

_"Quinn… Where is she now?"_

"I – I don't know… But I have to find her. I messed up Puck. I made her feel like I gave up on her."

_"But you didn't, or you wouldn't have called me."_

"She doesn't realize that! And I can't blame her… I let her go… I let her walk away without so much as a fight… She thinks I'm happy because she gave me the opportunity to get out of her life. I need to talk to her… She can't do this alone, and I would never forgive myself if that man hurt her again…"

_"Quinn what do you know about this guy? Do you know where he lives? Cuz I will mess him up, I swear to God…"_

"No I don't know anything about him… Look, Puck, I know I was mad at you for not being here but I think you should stay there. I mean, at least until I figure this out…"

_"Quinn –"_

"Santana's mom needs you. I'm gonna look for Santana… I promise I will call you if I need you."

_"…"_

"Puck please… Santana would kill us both if you left her mom alone."

_"She should've told me about what's been going on. She shouldn't have lied to me."_

"I know_… _And trust me, I will make sure she gets that. But right now, can you just, stay there? Mrs. Lopez would only get more worried if you leave so sudden, and I'm sure that can't be good for her heart_…"_

_"I – Just… Damn it. Seriously… call me okay…"_

"I will."

As soon as they said their goodbyes Quinn raced to grab her jacket, she needed to find Santana. She wasn't sure where to look but she decided to try her apartment first… It was the only place she could think of considering she didn't have a lot to go on.

Quinn stopped in front of Santana's door and pounded the door loudly. She hoped she was actually lucky enough to catch Santana here, but what were the odds… Would Santana really have gone home? Nonetheless, Quinn would try. Luckily, Lopez' weren't the only ones with stubbornness in their genes.

"Santana! Open the door!"

"I know you're in there, I need to talk to you!" Well Quinn didn't really know if she was in there… But if she was it might work.

Quinn knocked again. "You think you can rid of me that easily? Guess what, I'm still here, and I'm not leaving you."

Nothing.

"Look I'm not giving up, so you can just save us the time and open that door."

Was Santana being ignorant or was she really not there? Frustrated, Quinn stared at the still closed door, trying to think of what else she could say or do.

"Listen, I shouldn't have let you walk away."

She let out a sigh before continuing.

"What I should've done is _kick your ass_. I want to yell at you for not telling me you were in trouble, god a part of me is so mad at you right now. But you're crazy if you think I can walk away from this. I'm not running, and I really wish you would stop doing it too…"

Once again she was met with silence… Perhaps Santana was really not there… Quinn leaned her back against the door, she wasn't leaving. If Santana was in there, she needed to know Quinn wasn't giving up… but how could Quinn get through to someone as stubborn as Santana?

"HBIC's should stick together you know," Quinn started.

"People think we can handle anything. They think we don't feel lonely. They think we're on top and that it's all just a given. A blessing. But we're not perfect." Quinn chuckled. "And you know I hate to admit that."

"We might actually be the most screwed up people of all, if you think about it. You know that just as well as I do. Still we refuse to let other people in… But S… It's okay to ask for help sometimes… And it's okay to admit you feel lonely… I do."

At this point Quinn needed to be honest to herself as much as to Santana.

"You asked me why I was doing this, why I kept coming back… I really was – still am – worried… But I guess I liked hanging out with you. Here I was, telling myself I was just doing this to help you when actually… I was the one who needed the company. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you half of the time, but… I wouldn't have it any other way. If that even makes sense."

"San, we get each other and I… I care about you." Quinn realized she hadn't used that nickname in forever, and it only made her realize how close they once were. Or tried to be, anyway.

"Let me be there for you."

And still, nothing. Quinn sighed before stepping back. She prepared herself to walk away, but not without shooting back one last glance at the door. She still somehow hoped it would open. She stared for a little while, but nothing happened. Not a sound. No sign of any movement. She shook her head. Santana wasn't there.

Quinn walked out the building. Where could Santana be? She figured she could try the restaurants they'd been visiting. All of it was pretty much a long shot, but quitting was not an option. Quinn Fabray does not give up. Perhaps one of the perks of being an HBIC.

* * *

**In the meanwhile on the other side of the door**

She didn't even realize she was holding her breath. As soon as Santana was sure Quinn was gone, she finally allowed herself to break down. She collapsed into tears as she felt herself slumping down the wall Quinn had been on the other side of just a few moments ago.

* * *

******Song / Chapter Title: Turn It Down by Rebecca & Fiona**


	13. Young Blood

**Note: **So I know you want them to get together, and really, so do I. But, you know… with all the crap I'm putting them through it's hard to find the right timing.

Patience. We'll get there _soon_!

* * *

The weekend passed as Quinn tried to find Santana without any success. She came back to Santana's apartment a couple of times, yet again nobody opened the door. And it was _frustrating_. Where was she? Did she leave? Has she even come home? Or was it possible that she was in there all along? Whichever the answer, Santana was clearly avoiding Quinn, or anyone for that matter. Though she knew one thing for sure. Santana had to come back to work on Monday, because more or less, lives depended on it. So that's where Quinn would go.

_The strip club._

Unfortunately she would have to endure a whole day of class first, because Monday also meant back to college. It was hard for her to keep her mind off Santana during classes. Scratch that, it was downright _impossible_, and obviously the fact that the lectures were utterly boring didn't quite help. She ended up doodling on her notepad and apparently at some point the teacher caught her not paying attention. He couldn't actually have seen what Quinn was putting down on paper from that angle, but that didn't stop him from putting her on the spot.

"Miss Fabray, that better be notes you're writing down."

Ever since the rumors about her controversial romance came out, teachers seemed to take every chance to catch her. "What else could it be?" Quinn asked a little agitated, causing the man to cock an eyebrow.

"Can I see them?" he asked as he approached her.

Quinn didn't get the chance to answer. The man slightly pushed his glasses up before pulling away her notepad, staring at it with a frown. Clearly Quinn's lack of interest had offended him.

"I don't remember discussing this," he spoke in a condescending tone while looking at Quinn. She recognized that look. It was a look of judgment. She'd gotten used to it by now, because she got the same looks whenever she walked down the halls.

Quinn shrugged casually, not bothering to respond. She knew he would kick her out, and right now, she couldn't care less.

"Miss Fabray, I don't like your attitude. Either you take this class seriously or you can leave."

At the moment, it was an easy choice. Without any hesitation Quinn got up.

"I'll let myself out," she said, shooting everyone a sarcastically charming smile before walking out the door. Even though the people did get to her, she refused to let it show. It was for that very reason that she did in fact understand why Santana was always acting so ignorant. Because when you don't… It all turns real.

Quinn had another class at three, but she decided to leave. What was the point of staying when her mind was elsewhere anyway? She couldn't help but wonder where Santana had been all weekend. Quinn could only hope she hadn't gotten herself into more trouble. It was strange, Quinn actually sort of _missed_ Santana. After all the crap she'd been through at CU it was nice to be around someone who didn't judge her, or even be around anyone at all. Sure, they've both judged each other in the past – a _lot_ – but after these past few months they both seemed to be in different places when looking back at their high school days. Well, obviously that was an understatement.

Despite the circumstances, Quinn liked spending time with Santana. It was… familiar, yet different. Even though when Quinn appeared at Santana's doorstep she was mostly greeted with a scowl, she couldn't help but smile at the thought, simply because she knew Santana didn't actually hate Quinn. Santana was surprisingly caring if people could look past the attitude. Quinn could, because more or less, she was the same.

At the end of the day, Quinn prepared to leave for the strip club. _That_ certainly felt odd. She slipped into a dress and threw on a dark blue vest. She'd never been to a strip club before, but if she did she would do it in style. Last but not least, she pulled out a pair of heels. Content, she smiled into the mirror.

_Good to go._

After the drive there, Quinn parked her car at the lot nearby. She stayed in the drivers' seat for a moment, clenching her hands at the steering wheel. As she looked at the building through her window it all sunk in. She realized what she was here to do, but how would Santana react at Quinn showing up here? More than that, how would Quinn react if she saw Santana grinding some guy for money? She clenched the steering wheel even tighter. The whole idea just upset her. She shook her head. It was wrong. Santana was beautiful, she was smart, she shouldn't be selling her body. Quinn sighed. But she knew why Santana was doing this. Stupid decisions or not, Quinn had to admire Santana's strength in all of this. Still, she couldn't do this alone forever, and she shouldn't have to either.

Finally she gathered the courage to get out of the car, and she quickly paced towards the club. These streets still made her feel uncomfortable after that night she found Santana, and it only reminded her of all the creeps that actually lived in New York. Next thing she knew she found herself in front of the entrance. She was greeted by a couple of men smoking outside. She caught them checking her out and couldn't help but feel a little disgust.

"Hi there…" one of the guys started. "Damn, are you new here? I'd pay good money to see you in a tight outfit. Or less."

The men started laughing together, and as much as Quinn would love to snap back at them she didn't have time for that. She was here for different reasons.

"Sorry, I'm just here to see the show," Quinn stated nonchalantly before walking in.

"Shit, is she for real?" she overheard one of the guys react before the door slammed closed behind her.

As she walked in the music echoed around her. A low bass filled the room, and dim lights subtly lit the place. She scanned her surroundings and she had to admit, in contrary to her expectations the interior was quite tastefully decorated. Then again, she'd never been to a strip club, so her expectations didn't mean much.

The place was filled with all kinds of men. College boys on a night out, groups of guys celebrating their bachelor party, and some older men, hanging back by themselves, hungrily staring at the girls on stage.

She looked up at the stage and saw one of the girls stripping down as men showered her in dollar bills. To Quinn, it was uncomfortable to say the least. And she hadn't even found Santana yet. Where the hell was she?

She looked around once more, and suddenly her jaw dropped as she nearly punched herself for not noticing her before. _Santana. _There she was, up on the third stage, sensually teasing the guys in front of her… And even Quinn. She'd seen the girl in the locker rooms a thousand times before, but this was the first time she _really_ took in her beauty. She had perfectly carved features, and miles of dark hair flung around freely, flaunting her every move. She was… perfect… For lack of a better word.

As the next song started Quinn quickly shook out of her trance. She was here to _talk _to Santana. With firm steps she approached the stage. Santana hadn't noticed her yet, so she swiftly pulled out a twenty dollar bill. Santana was focused on another man when Quinn held up the bill, finally attracting her attention. Santana's eyes grew wide as soon as she saw the girl in front of her was Quinn.

"We need to talk," Quinn spoke with a stern expression on her face, mentally patting herself on the back for not getting distracted.

"I'm working," Santana answered blankly.

"Fine, meet me after. I'll be here."

Santana looked up at Quinn, seemingly surprised by Quinn's determination. They exchanged a final glance before Santana removed her gaze from Quinn, returning her focus to the man she was... working on.

Quinn walked over to the bar, taking a seat as she kept her eyes on Santana. She wasn't going to let her get away this time. She knew Santana would get off work at 2AM, so after an hour or so, she made her way outside, though not before making sure there was actually only one entrance just in case Santana would try to flee.

Quinn stood a few feet from the entrance, tapping the back of her hand as she waited for Santana to come out. She was relieved to find that the group of guys from earlier were gone. It may have been quiet but she would take that over those people any day. She couldn't believe Santana had to be around those pricks all the time, let alone have them grope her for money.

After about five minutes, Santana finally appeared at the door in a short black dress, a leather jacket and knee high boots. Once again Quinn found herself being taken aback by how stunning Santana looked. She was flawless. _Not why you're here Fabray… _Quinn reminded herself. No, she was here with a very clear reason.

"Santana," she called out while approaching her.

Santana stopped to look up at Quinn. "You're still here."

Quinn shrugged. "Told you."

"It's a shame you wasted your time," Santana replied before turning around, preparing herself to walk away for the umpteenth time.

"Santana," Quinn said, her voice sounding louder now. Still, Santana ignored her. But Quinn was determined to get through to her, so she gathered the words she knew would make Santana turn back around in an instant.

"I spoke with your mom."

Santana halted her movement as she turned back to face Quinn. And this time, Quinn's eyes truly met Santana's.

Santana didn't say a word, but Quinn knew she struck a nerve. Though it had to be done.

"Talk to me."

Quinn noticed Santana tried to run away again, so she quickly put her hand on Santana's shoulder. Santana immediately removed herself from Quinn's grip.

"Santana, don't walk –"

"What do you want from me?!" Santana yelled at Quinn. "Do you want me to congratulate you for figuring it out? Seriously Quinn you had no right! I asked you to leave and –"

"I don't care," Quinn cut her off, realizing it was time for a different approach. "I want to help you, and if that takes you getting mad at me then so be it."

Santana let out a spiteful laugh. "You got that last part right."

"Like I said. I don't care," Quinn replied, causing Santana to look somewhat confused.

"You're – You are quite something you know that? I told you to leave, and instead you show up here and you –"

"I what? I wanna help you? Damn right."

"Quinn I can handle this, I don't need your goddamn help! When are you gonna liste –"

"No _you _listen! Can you stop it? You pretend like you don't want any pity when you're the one who's throwing the pity party! Why do you think you don't deserve anyone's help?"

Santana narrowed her eyes at Quinn. "Since when do you study psychology? Because last time I checked you studied acting, so please can you just go back to _acting _like nothing's happened?"

"I don't need to study psychology to know you. You're scared even though you won't admit it. You try to act all tough so you won't fall apart. I understand that your mom means everything to you but this is not how she would want you to handle this."

The mention of Santana's mom caused Santana to clench her fists. "Don't… Don't even go there Quinn. I can't believe Puck told you this."

"What, because you've been so honest to him? Besides it wasn't even his fault, your mom was the one who grabbed his phone because she thought it was _you_! Santana, do you even know how worried she is?!"

Santana shook her head, her eyes pleading for Quinn to shut up.

"She's worried sick about you, and I can't blame her."

"I… I'm doing this for _her_!" Santana tried to reason.

"How do you think she would feel if you get yourself killed trying to save her? Do you really think she could handle that?"

Nervously Santana ran a hand through her hair, Quinn could tell she was getting to her.

"Santana, you know she'd never forgive herself if –"

"How do think _I_ would feel if I lost _her_?!" Santana suddenly yelled back, catching Quinn off guard. "She's my mother! I can't lose her, I just – I…" She buried her head in her hands, and Quinn knew she was forcing back tears. "Quinn… Don't you get it…?"

Santana was slowly breaking down, and Quinn's heart broke at the sight in front of her. She wished she could just wave her magic wand and take away her suffering but unfortunately things in life were never that easy.

"Santana…"

"She is all I have Quinn! You don't… You don't understand…" Santana's voice cracked as her body started to shiver. "She's… She's all I have… I can't…"

And that was all Santana could get out before collapsing to the ground, unable to hold back tears anymore. Quinn quickly caught her in an embrace, firmly wrapping her arms around her. She pulled her as close as possible, wanting to make sure Santana knew she wasn't alone in this.

"You have me. Okay?"

Santana buried her head into Quinn's shoulders, muffling her sobs.

"Shhh, you have me, and I'm not leaving you. We'll figure this out together. It's gonna be okay."

Santana held on to Quinn tightly, finally letting herself go. Her reaction was overwhelming, and Quinn couldn't help but feel tears starting to form in her own eyes. Never had she seen someone so desperate, so broken. Santana had been dealing with this alone for too long.

"It'll be okay…"

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Young Blood by The Naked And Famous**


	14. Alone Together

**Note: **Thank you so much for your reviews! I mean, really! Now, I hope you're okay with a more peaceful chapter. I sure could use a break from Santana running off every chance she gets, na-ah, time for some bonding.

* * *

After Santana broke down Quinn sat with her on the edge of the curb, cradling her as Santana let her emotions get out. For the first time she didn't run, or even attempt to push Quinn away. It was devastating to see someone as feisty and strong as Santana crumble like that, but in the end she was only human. They sat together for a while, not speaking, as words would fall short of whatever was going through either of them. Slowly Santana was calming down and Quinn felt the girl's muscles relax in her embrace. Yet just when Quinn thought Santana was done crying she heard the girl let out another sudden sob. Worried, she pulled away to look at Santana, but she was surprised at what she saw.

"Are you… _laughing_?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"I just…" Even with her cheeks stained in dry tears Santana managed a smile.

"What?" Quinn asked, still confused.

"I just can't believe Puck let a fifty year old woman snag the phone out of his hands…" She wiped away a final tear. "What a loser…"

Quinn sighed in relief as a smile made its way across her lips. For a moment she thought Santana had really gone crazy. "Well your mom's no joke. She's feisty, she reminds me of a certain other Latina I know…"

Santana let out something in between a chuckle and a sob. "Yeah?"

Quinn nodded.

Santana looked back out onto the street. "She must be a real pain the ass."

"She is." Quinn paused as she remembered how difficult Santana could be sometimes. "_Definitely_," she thought out loud again.

"Way to make me feel better Q… You're really good at this," Santana replied sarcastically.

Quinn smiled. At least she hadn't lost her sense of humor. "I wasn't finished. She's also one of the strongest people I know."

At those words Santana turned her head back to face Quinn with a sad smile, before slightly shaking her head in disagreement. "Thanks Q. But you're wrong. I just broke down and cried for like an hour… Strong people don't do that. It's kinda pathetic really…" She said the latter with a small laugh, though clearly it wasn't meant to be funny.

Quinn's heart sank just a little more. How could Santana think so low of herself? And then she remembered, she was the one who once told Santana she was just a _scared little girl with low self- esteem_. The words cut through her like a knife, she didn't think those words could actually have made a difference but she wanted to take them back nonetheless. Ever since she found about Santana's reasons Quinn had a whole newfound respect for Santana, even despite the girl's lack of rational decisions. She really did mean it when she said Santana was one of the strongest people she knew.

"Santana… It's okay to let go sometimes, that doesn't make you any less of a person."

Santana couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at hearing Quinn's wise words. She wasn't sure if she agreed with her, but either way it was comforting to hear. "Were you always this smart?"

Quinn failed to force back a smirk. "You think I'm smart, huh?"

Santana huffed. Leave it to Quinn to turn this into a compliment.

"I might have to tape that," Quinn teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Santana rolled her eyes yet her lips curved into a smile. "God you're annoying…"

And then, for a moment, it was silent again. Both girls were left to their own thoughts and there was nothing to distract Santana from her still fresh emotions. Quinn noticed that she still struggled to maintain her composure as she watched Santana let her head hang down low once more.

"Hey." Quinn lifted her hand up to touch Santana's cheek, forcing them to face each other. As she looked into Santana's eyes she found herself staring into a pool of mixed emotions. "You're not alone. I'm gonna help you through this, I love you. Kay?" Her voice sounded like a soothing whisper. She pulled Santana into another embrace, offering her something to hold onto, because God knows, she desperately needed it. They both did.

"Quinn…" Santana whispered, with her chin still resting on Quinn's shoulder.

"Hmm…"

"Are _you_ okay?"

All of the sudden Quinn noticed a tear of her own had started trickling down her face. She wasn't sure why. Maybe because her heart ached for Santana. Or maybe she just missed being this close to someone. It's been a while… after all. Santana pulled away and looked at her, waiting for an answer. Not in the pushy kind of way though, she seemed more worried. It surprised Quinn how Santana could still think about her in all of this.

"It's nothing. Just an… emotional night I guess," Quinn shrugged.

"I'll say." Santana laughed before her expression was replaced with a more serious one. "But… I'm here for you too. I know I haven't been exactly uhm… well you know… open-armed, or anything… I'm sorry about that. It's just hard for me… But I hope you realize I _do _care about you, Quinn…"

Quinn couldn't help but smile as she saw Santana struggle to find the words. She raised her hands to save Santana from further rambling. "Stop. It's okay… I get it."

"Thanks for that," Santana replied a little awkwardly before looking away. "Just when I thought I couldn't get more pathetic…"

Quinn was about to argue when Santana quickly shot her a reassuring smile, and Quinn realized she meant it in good fun.

"Seriously though…" Santana continued. "You can talk to me too. I kinda owe you after all…"

Quinn arched an eyebrow. "I'm not gonna talk to you because you feel like you _owe_ me something."

Santana scrunched her eyes, frustrated with her own choice of words. "That came out wrong… I mean, I _want_ to."

Quinn's face softened. She knew Santana was _trying_, and really, that was all she could ask for.

"Besides… HBIC's should stick together you know…" Santana added.

That surprised Quinn. For a moment she thought back, and then it hit her.

"You were there."

Santana nodded, though avoiding Quinn's gaze. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't handle it."

Sympathetically, Quinn kept looking at Santana. "Handle what?"

"Everything… You…"

"Me?"

"I guess – I don't know… After that night, I thought you wouldn't come back… But you did. I don't get it. I know you said you felt lonely but I guess… I don't understand why you came to me of all people… I mean, I've been such a bitch to you and I could've gotten you killed for crying out loud…"

Quinn didn't know exactly how to answer that, because honestly, she wasn't sure herself.

"I guess I felt like you were the only who'd understand what it's like."

Santana nodded, but a question still lingered in her thoughts. "Quinn. How's CU… I mean, really…"

Quinn's mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out. She wasn't prepared for that question. She came here to talk to Santana about _her _problems, she didn't expect to talk about her own.

"Fine," she said eventually, trying her best to sound casual.

"Quinn," Santana said more pressuring this time. "You said I understand what it's like. That means I can tell when you're lying."

"Since when is this about me?"

"Quinn," Santana repeated. Quinn was beating around the bush and of course Santana recognized that like no other.

"It's… alright. I mean, people still look at me, you know… but…" Quinn's voice slowly faded into a whisper.

"But what?"

Quinn shook her head, as this time it was her turn to let out a sob. "I…" She tried to speak but her voice cracked as soon as she started. It must've been something about this night that had both girls feeling emotional. Quinn was startled when she suddenly felt Santana's hand on her cheek. She looked up, and as if the roles were reversed Santana was now the one soothing her.

"It's okay."

Quinn shook her head once more. "No, it's not Santana…"

"Tell me."

"Every day… It's just… I hate it S, I hate going there." At this point tears had started flowing. Santana gently ran her hand through Quinn's hair and shot her a quick subtle smile, as if to tell Quinn she didn't need to feel uncomfortable. "Everybody just… judges me. Students, teachers, they all think I'm some kind of slut… And I have _nobody_ left on my side. I can't focus, I just can't do it anymore…"

Santana knew exactly what it was like to be alone. To have nobody to turn to. It was the saddest feeling in the world. She pulled Quinn in for a hug, allowing Quinn to cry on her shoulders this time.

"Aren't we a pathetic bunch," Santana tried to joke as she felt her own eyes water again. She couldn't believe how many tears were being shed tonight.

Quinn laughed in between sobs. "Totally…"

"Tell you what…"

"What…"

"I'll be on your side if you're on mine."

Quinn pulled away from Santana, allowing them to exchange a warm smile. It was strange, how they used to be at each other's throats all the time, but right now, it felt like they were the only ones that could comfort each other.

"I'd like that."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Alone Together by Fall Out Boy**


	15. Morningside

Santana ended up coming to Quinn's apartment. It was an emotional wrecking night for the both of them and neither wanted to go home alone. It was quite ironic, Lima's two biggest bitches spilling all their emotions and tears, doing everything they naturally would have tried their best at to avoid. Yet at the same time, it was a huge relief. Quinn was glad to have gotten through to Santana, but she hoped Santana would still feel the same way the next morning. After all, Santana's mood was like the tide and Quinn was very aware of the fact that she might try to run again. However, when she woke up and stepped into the living room to check she was surprised to find Santana still sleeping on the couch.

She couldn't help but smile in relief before heading to the kitchen to make coffee. She did have class at nine, but she figured, _what's another day off…_ She tried her best to keep it down, but failed miserably when one of the mugs fell out of the cabinet, shattering into pieces with a hard clash on the floor. After silently cursing at herself she quickly looked over to Santana to see if she woke her, but she still had her eyes closed. Quinn was surprised that Santana managed to sleep through that. She bent down to pick up the pieces but flinched when she cut her finger on one of the shards.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed, forgetting to keep her voice down.

Just as she pulled out a paper towel to stop the bleeding she was startled by a groan. She turned around, still holding the paper towel to her finger. She looked at Santana who was now sitting upright on the couch.

"I woke you."

Santana nodded before managing a faint smile.

"Sorry," Quinn apologized.

"Are you always this loud in the morning?" Santana asked as she stretched out.

Quinn shrugged. "Only when I have visitors."

Santana smiled as she shook her head. "Cute. What were you doing anyway?"

Quinn sighed. "I was _trying _to make coffee."

This caused Santana to laugh. "I didn't realize that was such a task for you."

Quinn was about to make a remark but Santana quickly interrupted her again. "Look, if you go find a band-aid, then _I'll_ take care of the coffee," Santana grinned. "Could use some myself anyway."

She wasn't sure if she should thank Santana or scowl at her for using that mocking tone. "Thanks, I think. FYI, I am perfectly capable of making coffee you know."

"I have no doubt, but I just think I can save you some mugs."

Quinn narrowed her eyes at Santana before giving in and disappearing into the bathroom.

After cleaning the cut on her finger and patching it up with a band-aid Quinn returned to the living room to find that Santana had prepared two cups of coffee, and she even cleaned up the remaining mess on the floor. She offered Quinn her mug and Quinn couldn't help but smile. Maybe even a little too long.

Santana quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Quinn took a seat on the couch, placing the mug on the table. "I… kinda expected you would've made a run for it by now," she admitted.

"Oh…" Santana replied with a guilty look on her face before taking a seat on the couch next to Quinn. "I guess I've been doing that a lot…"

"Yeah," Quinn replied softly. It wasn't as if she could deny it anyway. "If you disappeared more often I would've sworn you were a superhero or something," Quinn continued, trying to make Santana feel a little better. She was glad when she saw Santana's lips slightly curving into a smile.

"I'm not though," Santana answered eventually. "I don't run away to save the world, I'm just a coward Quinn."

Quinn shook her head. "Maybe you're not saving the world, but you're trying to save your mom. If you really were a coward you would've given up by now, you should give yourself more credit."

Santana nodded faintly before shooting Quinn a grateful smile. "Thanks…"

Quinn was glad that Santana finally opened up to her more now, although there were still a lot of questions left unanswered. She couldn't help but wonder about the rest of the story. She knew Santana was trying to save her mother, but why was her dad not there? She wasn't sure if she should just be grateful for Santana letting her in at all or if she should keep asking, but she decided to take her chances nonetheless.

"Santana… Uhm…"

Santana looked up at hearing the hesitation in Quinn's voice. "What is it?"

"I don't want you to get mad at me for asking, but…"

"Just… spill it Q," Santana spoke, furrowing her eyebrows.

"What exactly… happened with your parents…"

Quinn noticed Santana's face fell as soon as the words left her mouth. Clearly it was still a touchy subject and she realized maybe she was wrong to bring it up.

"I'm sorry… I just… I heard about your dad and I –"

Santana held up her hand to stop her. "It's okay… You know most of it now anyway…" She took a deep breath, preparing herself to explain. "When I came home for thanksgiving… I found out there were some problems between my parents they didn't tell me about."

Quinn nodded, waiting for Santana to continue.

"A few days before I was supposed to leave for Kentucky, I walked in on them arguing. They didn't know I was there so I hid behind the wall and listened. Turns out… my dad had been cheating on my mom. "

Quinn's mouth fell open. "Are you serious?" She was definitely surprised. Whenever she used to visit Santana's house her parents always seemed so happy together. Then again, Quinn had learned by now a lot of problems always hid beneath the surface. She nodded in understanding before encouraging Santana to continue. "What happened then…?"

"I was so mad at him… I couldn't believe how he could do that. I always believed my mom and dad were the perfect couple, the perfect parents you know…" Santana shook her head, still in disbelief. "I wanted to run in there and yell at him, but then I overheard something else…"

A dark laugh escaped her mouth. "My mom already knew. She _knew_, and she was angry but she didn't do _anything_."

The bitterness in her voice startled Quinn.

"Needless to say I barged in – you know, temper and all – and I just started yelling at the both of them." Quinn watched Santana clench her fists, she was definitely not over this. "They made me think that everything was okay but they just _lied _to me, every time I called to ask how things were at home they told me not to worry and that everything was fine, and I believed them. God I felt like such an idiot!"

"Santana… They just didn't want to hurt you…"

"Yeah," Santana huffed. "_That_ worked out really well."

"I'm sorry…" Quinn offered her an apologetic smile, she didn't know what to say to make her feel better.

"And if my dad didn't want to hurt anyone he wouldn't have cheated. I _hated_ him for doing that to my mom, and I just couldn't believe she still stuck with him. It was only when she realized I found out and confronted her about it that she finally decided to file for divorce."

"How did your dad react…"

"My dad tried to convince my mom to keep trying but… I just couldn't bear to watch it. He was sleeping with this other woman for like a whole goddamn year! This started before I went off to college, I just…" Santana took another deep breath to keep herself from getting upset again. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming. I should've noticed…"

"It's not your fault your dad cheated Santana," Quinn tried to assure her.

Santana shook her head. "Maybe it wasn't my fault that he cheated… But I'm the reason he left…"

"What do you mean…?" Quinn asked with a puzzled frown.

"I just got so angry… I watched him trying to tell my mom it wasn't his fault, and it pissed me off. I just couldn't control myself and when I came at him he pushed me back. And that's when it all went crazy. I kept yelling at him and just when he tried to hit me my mom tried to stop him… He ended up hitting her instead…"

"Oh my god…" Quinn couldn't believe things got so out of hand.

"Immediately he regretted it, but I didn't care. I couldn't have him anywhere near my mom. I told him to leave and…" Santana paused as she looked down.

"That's what he did…" Quinn filled in, looking at Santana in disbelief.

Santana nodded. "The next day, the divorce papers were on the table, signed, sealed, delivered."

Quinn felt her heart ache for Santana once again. "I'm so sorry S…"

"I stayed home with my mom for a while, I just couldn't leave her alone… And one day when I was in the kitchen I suddenly heard something collapse…" Santana buried her head in her hands.

Quinn swallowed as she realized where this was going.

"I found her lying on the floor, not breathing… I… She…"

"Santana…"

And just like that… Santana broke down for the second time.

Quinn quickly moved over to wrap an arm around Santana, pulling her into an embrace. Quinn couldn't believe how Santana managed to put up a tough front for such a long time. It was so easy to forget she was actually really fragile.

"I was so scared Quinn…" Santana sobbed. "I thought I was going to lose her…"

"But you didn't, she's still here."

"Not if I can't get her that surgery… God if I… If I just would've shut my mouth for once… My dad would still be here, he could've fixed this… He could've fixed _her_…"

Quinn pulled back to face her. "Santana it's not your fault… You were right to protect your mom, okay?" She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before pulling her into another embrace. "Your dad's the one who cheated, _he's_ the one who hit your mom, and _he's_ probably the reason she got that heart attack in the first place. This is _not _your fault. You hear me?"

Santana sighed, slowly composing herself. Quinn let go of her and stood up before reaching out her hand. "C'mon. Let's just go for a walk, it'll help you calm down."

"Yeah," Santana said softly as she wiped away a tear. "God I can't believe I'm doing this again." She started to laugh as she thought about how much she's been crying in the past twenty four hours. "Something's seriously wrong with me."

Quinn shook her head as she now faced Santana with a stern expression. "Do you want me to slap you again?"

Santana definitely didn't see that one coming. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you… If you don't start believing that soon I will take measures."

Quinn shot her a reassuring smile before reaching out her hand once more, pulling Santana upright. "Now let's go outside and get some fresh air."

A subtle smirk broadened on Santana's face as she shook her head at Quinn's so-called soothing words. Quinn was straight forward, and God forbid, Santana wouldn't have it any other way.

"Thanks," Santana said, and only Quinn could understand what Santana thanked her for.

"Anytime… I'm on your side, remember?"

"Seems so…" Santana replied with a warm smile. "But Quinn," Santana started as she found her jacket.

"What," Quinn called out from her bedroom before she made her way to the door to face Santana.

"If you dare slap me again I will kick your ass."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Morningside by Sara Bareilles**


	16. Please Don't Go

After their walk outside Santana's mood visibly picked up and they returned to Quinn's apartment. They'd been out for the majority of the day as it was nearly dinner time. They ended up taking a stroll through the park before having lunch and continuing to walk down the streets of New York. Aside from Santana's breakdown, it's been a great day. They talked, they laughed, and for a moment it was like they didn't have a care in the world. Santana hadn't felt this good in months and she was glad that Quinn decided to take her outside. With everything she'd been dealing with she tended to forget that New York could be a wonderful place. It was funny how Quinn of all people was the one to show her.

"My feet are _killing_ me," Santana whined as she let herself drop onto Quinn's couch, spreading herself across it.

Quinn moved towards her and softly slapped her on the arm. "Mine are too, so scoot over, you're taking the whole couch."

Santana groaned before making room for Quinn to sit.

"Thank you." Quinn sat down, allowing Santana to rest her head on Quinn's lap.

"For what, letting you sit on your own couch?" Santana replied with a laugh.

"Well you _are_ Santana Lopez, you don't exactly have a reputation of being polite," Quinn teased.

Santana rolled her eyes but failed to deny it. Tact really never was her thing after all.

Both girls took a moment to themselves as they relaxed.

"Quinn," Santana started as the feeling finally started to return to their legs.

"Hmm…" Quinn hummed, keeping her eyes closed.

"Thanks for… you know, helping me keep my mind off things. I uhm… had a great time today."

Quinn smiled as she opened her eyes, allowing them to meet Santana's. "That's okay. I had a great time too anyway, _definitely_ worth skipping class for."

Santana returned a somewhat uncomfortable smile. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty about keeping Quinn away from class, and moreover, she was worried about how casual Quinn was treating it. She knew Quinn was having a tough time at college, but it was as if she completely checked out.

"Aren't you gonna get into trouble?" Santana asked.

Quinn sighed. "Maybe. I don't know."

"It's not like you Quinn… You've never been a slacker with school," Santana spoke with a worried expression.

"Things have changed…"

"Yeah…" Santana agreed. She understood how certain circumstances could change you. She shook her head, still finding it hard to believe everything that's happened over the past few months. "Wasn't it all easier back in McKinley?"

Quinn nodded. "I miss it, you know… I mean, it hasn't always been a cake walk, but most of the time we just knew where we stood."

"I know what you mean. College is different… It's hard to define yourself without your old reputation. Never thought I'd say this, but I kinda wished I could've stayed in high school just a little while longer." Santana hadn't been in college for that long, but a few months in Kentucky was enough to make her realize McKinley wasn't all that bad.

Quinn couldn't agree more. "Definitely… We were lucky though. We managed to stay popular despite everything."

"Think I have cheerios to thank for that," Santana replied as she thought back.

"Maybe," Quinn shrugged. "I have to admit, walking down the halls in that uniform, it was a great feeling."

Santana shook her head. "_You_ never needed cheerios."

"What are you talking about?" Quinn asked, genuinely confused.

Santana shot her a smile before explaining. "You got amazing grades, you were smart and, well, I guess most people thought you were hot or whatever," Santana tried to play off casually. "Quinn, everybody looked up to you no matter what you did. Even when you joined the skanks… I had to admit you kind of rocked that shaggy pink hair."

Quinn laughed. "Are you kidding me? I still don't know what got into me when I did that."

"Well people still loved it."

Quinn faced her with a warm but puzzled smile. "What's with the compliments?"

Santana shrugged. "I have my moments."

"Who knew… Guess you're not so much of a bad ass after all."

Santana squinted her eyes at Quinn. "Don't let it go to your head Fabray, if you tell anyone about this I will endz you."

Quinn chuckled at hearing Santana's use of that sentence she'd heard a billion times before. "And just like that, the moment's gone."

"It's your fault," Santana replied with a huff. "You ruined it."

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself."

Santana scowled at Quinn before smiling to herself. She liked quarreling with Quinn, and she had to admit, after she walked away from Quinn on Friday, the weekend seemed awfully quiet without her. She'd gotten used to Quinn coming over to hang out, and when it stopped she was surprised to find how much she missed having her around.

"Ugh, I'm hungry…" Quinn spoke after a moment of silence.

Santana frowned. "Are you serious? You ate like the biggest sandwich just a few hours ago."

Quinn gasped as a playfully hurt expression formed on her face. "Oh please, it wasn't that big. Besides, it was brunch. That's supposed to be two meals anyway."

"Let me tell you, it _was_ huge." Santana scoffed before rolling her eyes at Quinn. "I can't believe how you manage to stay hot," she mumbled out loud, much to her regret as she saw Quinn now facing her with a smirk. She hoped Quinn hadn't caught it but clearly that wasn't the case.

"So…" Quinn started.

_Nope, definitely no way out of this._

"Don't even." Santana tried to break her off, failing however.

"You think I look hot…?"

"That's not what I –"

"Na-ah, that's definitely what you said," Quinn cut her off, the smirk broadening on her face.

"Seriously stop," Santana growled.

Quinn laughed as she shot her a playful smile, as if to rub it in. Though she seemed to have decided to give Santana a break. "So. Is it okay if order Chinese then?"

"Fine." She muttered. Santana calmed down again, silently grateful for the fact that Quinn decided to let it slide.

* * *

Quinn smirked as she made her way over to her phone. Santana said she was _hot_. Not to mention she thought Quinn was smart, and she even complimented Quinn's ridiculously pink hairdo from back then. Quinn was sure she would've blushed if she weren't so used to reacting with some kind of remark. She'd always been content with their dynamic, changing it would be wrong… wouldn't it? Then again, she couldn't help but feel like it already had after their emotional confessions. It was unlike either of them to really show their vulnerability, as back in high school surely one of them would've taken advantage of it. But it wasn't like that anymore, and that's when Quinn realized that things have changed.

Quinn called to order dinner, and just as she hung up she noticed she received a text from Rachel.

**_18:19 __RACHEL: Quinn, Kurt and I are going out for karaoke night on Thursday, we thought maybe you'd like to join? You can bring Santana, if she wants to come... I realize we gave her a tough time the other day, but really we were just worried. I promise Thursday will just be about having a good time, maybe it'll help her to feel better._**

Quinn was surprised that they invited Santana. Not because she thought they didn't want her to come, but after their last encounter it just seemed a little unlikely. However, Quinn could understand they were just worried – probably better than any other – and offering her and Santana to come on a night out was a nice gesture. As much as karaoke wasn't really her thing, the idea of having a careless night out was certainly tempting. She wondered if Santana would consider tagging along… She knew Santana would probably be reluctant about it.

The food arrived after about a half an hour, and as they sat at the table Quinn decided to bring it up.

"I got a text from Rachel," Quinn spoke after taking a few bites.

Santana stopped to eat as she looked up, not sure where Quinn was going with this. "What did she say?"

"She uhm… invited us to come with her and Kurt to karaoke night on Wednesday," Quinn explained, causing Santana to raise an eyebrow.

"_Us_?" Santana asked in disbelief. "As in, you and _me_?"

Quinn nodded. "They feel bad about giving you the third degree the other day. I guess they want to make it up to you."

"That's… nice…" Santana replied before looking back down at her plate, and Quinn couldn't help but notice the sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Come on, give them a break." Even though Quinn knew how out there and annoyingly perky they could be, she did like them. Strangely enough they were two of the few people Quinn stayed in touch with after McKinley.

"Since when are you guys bff's?" Santana asked with a frown.

"We are not _bff's,_" Quinn couldn't help but roll her eyes as she quoted the word. "We get together every once in a while, they're really not that bad, you _know _that. You should give them a chance."

Santana shrugged. "Maybe."

"Santana… They mean well. Besides, wouldn't it be fun?" Quinn tried to convince.

Santana laughed, luckily before taking another bite of the chicken as surely she would've choked on it. "Singing eighties songs and prancing around to ABBA dressed in tutu's? Yeah I don't think so."

Quinn quirked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you actually believe that."

Santana dismissed the comment. "I just don't want to go, okay?"

"Well if you don't want to sing, you can hang out with me at the bar. It'll be fun, I promise."

Santana sighed. "That _does_ sound a little better… " And just when Quinn thought she had her Santana countered. "But I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I have work," Santana explained. "Have to start at ten all week."

Quinn's face fell. She wasn't sure why it bothered her that much, but it felt like a pang through her chest. She'd hoped that after she got through to her Santana would change her mind about working there… She didn't have to do it all alone anymore, and she had Quinn, she knew that right?

"You're still going?"

Santana faced her with a confused expression. "What did you think Quinn?"

"I just thought… I don't know." Quinn shook her head, struggling to find what it was that she wanted to say. "I just thought we'd figure this out together, and that you…"

"What? That I'd quit my job?" Santana asked in disbelief.

"Well… Yeah," Quinn admitted.

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not quitting…"

"We can find another way Santana," Quinn tried to reason. "You don't belong there…"

"Quinn…"

"We can fix this! I can help, you don't need to go back."

Santana shook her head. "I _do_ Quinn. Look… I really want to find another way… But before that happens, this is my best option."

"How is this your best option? I was there last night, I watched you and I could tell you hated those guys… And still you let them touch you!" Quinn started to feel angry. It wasn't so much that she didn't understand where Santana was coming from… but…

"That's my job Quinn! And you know I need the money… I thought you understood."

"I – I do, but this isn't the way Santana… It shouldn't be."

Santana saw that Quinn was getting upset, so she decided to calm down. She wasn't ready to lose Quinn over this. "Quinn… I have to," Santana said softly. "Now let's just… finish dinner okay?"

Quinn took a deep breath. She knew she had to stop because every time they had this conversation Santana ended up running away. But still… Every time Santana left she came closer to realizing…

"I like what you ordered. What is this… Kung Pao chicken?" Santana asked, pretending their brief argument never took place. Quinn on the other hand found it hard to let this go. She nodded faintly before poking her fork at the rice. All of the sudden, she wasn't that hungry anymore.

After dinner Quinn took place on the couch as she watched Santana get up to collect her things.

As soon as Santana had packed her bag she stood still for a moment, staring at Quinn almost apologetically. "Guess I should get going."

Quinn got up to face her on eye level. "You don't have to."

"Look I know I don't have to start work for another two hours but I need to pick up some new clothes," Santana said, oblivious to what Quinn was _actually_ trying to say.

Quinn shook her head. "No… I mean… Don't go back there."

"Q you know I can't –"

"I don't _want_ you to go back there." There was a certain solemnity her voice. She didn't know exactly what got into her, but a moment of clarity struck as soon as the words left her.

"What?" Santana asked, as her expression soon turned from surprised to offended.

Quinn stepped closer, reducing the gap between them. Part of her had would've liked to think she had no idea what she was doing. But the truth is, she knew it very damn well. She couldn't stand the idea of Santana going back to that place, having other people touch her when it meant absolutely nothing… Having them look at her without appreciating everything she was… Of course Santana was beautiful, but she was more than that. She was also smart, kind, funny, caring… and as much as she could be annoyingly stubborn, Quinn had learned to love that about her.

"I said, I don't want you to go back there."

With that she took another step closer.

Santana kept looking at her, confused and agitated at the same time. "What are you saying? You think that just because you said you don't _want_ me to go back I will –"

Before Santana could finish her rant, she was stopped as Quinn finally closed the final gap. Without hesitation – or perhaps thinking at all really – Quinn stepped forward and pulled Santana in for a kiss. As their lips parted Quinn's face lingered in front of Santana's, barely an inch away. Santana's mouth fell open slightly as she let her eyes wander back and forth from Quinn's eyes to her lips. It was hard to tell what went through to her, but Quinn knew she just couldn't let Santana walk out that door again.

"Stay."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Please Don't Go by Mike Posner**


	17. Crystalised

**Note: **First of all, thank you for your reviews! Judging from your reactions I can see you've been waiting for a while for this to happen haha, me too. So, just wanted to address some of the reviews!

_**ErosEternaGlee**: _Don't get excited too soon, but I promise it'll get better :)  
_**Parkourgirl2121**: _Haha we'll seeee  
_**niccici30**: _Well the best relationships start out as friendships right? I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!  
_**joy**.**rolo**: _Thanks, and sorry I just had to leave it there to give people a chance to try and think of what could happen next. But I see you've been paying attention ;)  
_**Anon**: _Honestly I hadn't even considered that, but that's actually pretty perceptive! And also, I always thought Quinn would be the jealous type…  
_**Jammy**:_ I get the kiss may have been somewhat of a shock. In my head I already "realized" feelings were starting to get involved, but I chose to keep it on the DL while writing so the kiss would be a bit of a fun surprise. Though I think I may have hid it a little too well haha! As for Quinn's parents, I haven't really thought about involving them (well just her mom) so much, as there are already quite a lot of issues still needing to be solved. Though maybe later on!  
_**Gracksies**: _Wow, thanks, that really means a lot to me! Totally made my day.  
_**TakeMyBreathAwayTwoTimes**: _Thank you! I'm glad you decided to read the rest, hope you keep reading! As for the question if it's hard to pick a song for each chapter (thank you for asking by the way, I know people don't really care what song I pick haha), well I usually choose the song before I write the chapter. Half of the time I'm stuck with a writer's block, and I just shuffle around in my iTunes for inspiration. It's impossible to find a song that actually fits the whole chapter, so I settle for the atmosphere, not too bothered by the lyrics as they can be interpreted in different ways.  
**_L_**: Thank you!

Well, on with the next chapter. Don't kill me.

* * *

_"Stay."_

"I…" Santana's voice was barely audible, her gaze still lingering over every feature on Quinn's face.

"Please," Quinn whispered in the husky voice that nearly made Santana shudder.

Santana was completely thrown off guard by the kiss… yet she couldn't keep her eyes off Quinn's lips. She could feel the lust building up inside, and looking into Quinn's hazel eyes didn't exactly help either. Naturally, it would've been just instinct to kiss her back. For a moment they stood together, frozen by their own proximity. It was hard for Santana to think clearly… hell, it was hard to even think at all. It took every inch of strength in her body to restrain herself.

"I can't," Santana managed eventually, closing her eyes so she wouldn't get distracted by Quinn's ever inviting lips. She stepped back, successfully breaking their trance.

"Santana…" Quinn moved closer again but Santana backed away, shaking her head.

"I can't do this Quinn." Quickly she moved out the door without looking back. She _couldn't_ look at Quinn, it was just too confusing. As if her life wasn't complicated enough…

When she got outside she noticed Quinn hadn't followed her. She wasn't really surprised… It would've been plain awkward. After walking a few blocks further she rested her back against the wall, trying to make sense of what happened. She took a deep breath, still shaking her head in disbelief. Quinn _kissed _her. _Quinn fucking Fabray. What the hell was she thinking?_ The night had taken the strangest turn… And Santana still had to go to work. As if she would be able to keep her mind off Quinn now… She wished she could.

* * *

"Shit…" Quinn softly cursed to herself before lowering herself onto the floor. Quinn tried to keep Santana from leaving, and instead she sped out the door faster than ever. "What the hell have I done."

She felt like an idiot, Santana probably hated her now. Finally, they were doing fine… then she just had to go and mess things up. And for what? For these petty feelings of hers? Yes, _feelings. _Quinn wasn't sure how to define it, all she knew was that she wanted – and _needed_ – Santana to kiss her back. But she didn't. Of course she didn't. Quinn should've known Santana would run. After all, how many times had she been dealing with it? What made her think that this could be any different?

"Shit, shit, shit…" She could only imagine how Santana was feeling right now. She already had so much going on in her life, and here Quinn was, going around kissing her. Was it selfish of her to do that? Her own feelings were one thing, but she realized she hadn't even considered Santana's… She probably never even saw it coming. And who was Quinn to blame her? She was supposed to be straight, after all. Though, after being in glee club and having Beth, judgment tended to wear off. It wasn't the fact that she had feelings for a _girl_ that bothered her too much… But the scary part was that it _wasn't_ just a girl. It was _Santana goddamn Lopez_.

So now what? As Quinn sat on the floor she pulled her knees up close, burying her head. How was she going to fix this? She needed to talk to Santana, although she wasn't quite sure about what she was going to say… She couldn't exactly tell her that she slipped and fell onto Santana's lips by accident. No, she had some explaining to do. If Santana would even want to listen, that is.

* * *

Two hours later Santana arrived at the strip club. According to routine she got dressed – or undressed really – before getting up on stage.

It didn't take long for her to take away all the attention from the other strippers as men started to gather around her, flicking dollar bills her way. She should be happy right? She needed the money, and here these guys were, showering her in it. She'd done it a million times, and although she never really liked her job, she had never felt this… empty.

She could hear them calling at her, smiling and laughing as they had the time of their lives watching her. Though her body was moving, she was completely zoned out. All she could think about was Quinn, kissing her.

Part of Santana was pissed off at Quinn for doing this. They had just gotten their friendship back on track… and the kiss, well it changed everything. Though as much as Quinn kissing her was confusing… it was her own reaction that surprised her the most. She actually _wanted _to kiss Quinn back. She would've liked to blame it on primal urges, yet she couldn't help but feel like it might be more than that. It was puzzling to say the least. With everything that's been going on she never really let her mind go there.

Maybe it was spending all this time with Quinn. Maybe it was seeing her in that gorgeous dress the other day – _because damn, she looked amazing. _Maybe it was because the Quinn Fabray attitude was just such a turn on. Always has been, really. Though back in the day pride on both sides tended to overshadow that. Maybe it was her growing appreciation for Quinn's persistence and caring side. Or maybe it was all of that. They'd been teasing each other about dates, and perhaps even flirted occasionally, but that was just playful banter wasn't it? Or… could it really have been something else?

"Shit that is one fine ass!" one of the guys yelled before giving her a firm slap on it. It made Santana want to cringe, but she played it off with a smile. "Get it girl!" he continued as he watched her in awe. If she could smack his eyes shut she would.

_"You don't belong there." _

Quinn's voice suddenly echoed in her head. The guys kept touching, grabbing, yelling, but to Santana they might as well have been thin air as her head was elsewhere.

_"Well you haven't told me to leave."_

_"If I did would you go away?"_

_"No."_

One damn kiss and all she could think about was Quinn. How could something as simple as a kiss just throw her world upside down like that?

She bent down as one of the guys motioned for her to come closer. He let his hands roam all over her body, allowing him to greet it with fascination. And a few dollar bills, obviously. Out of habit she brought her hands up to his cheek, teasing him as she slowly backed away again, wearing a playful grin. He tried to reach for her but she shook her head. This seemed to have him turned on however.

_"Why do you keep pushing me away?"_

_Fuck_, why couldn't she stop thinking about her? Why couldn't she just get out of her head? As much as she tried to keep her mind off Quinn… She couldn't help but wonder… Was Quinn right? Was that what she was doing? Pushing Quinn away? No… She wasn't going to let Quinn do this. There was no way she was going to allow Quinn to make her feel guilty for walking away. She was right to do that, wasn't she? _God, this is so confusing… _Her thoughts were interrupted as another guy approached her. "Twenty bucks for a lap dance right?"

Santana nodded absently and motioned for him to follow her to the back room, much to the other guys' dismay. As they walked into the room she pushed him down onto the seat, and clearly he was loving every second of it. Fortunately he was too busy gazing at her body to be bothered by the fact that she wasn't _really _there. Even as she straddled the guy, she couldn't tell what his face looked like or even what color his hair was.

_"Just admit it S, you like spending time with me."_

_I do_.

"Fuck, I would've paid a lot more for this view," the guy spoke with a dazed smile plastered across his face. "Baby you're priceless."

She forced a smirk, barely hearing what he said but she could assume it was a compliment.

_"You think you can get rid of me that easily? Guess what, I'm still here, and I'm not leaving you."_

_Clearly_…

Quinn's voice would not leave her head. _I am going crazy. _What was it about that kiss that had her losing her mind? She had never reacted that way. Most of the time a kiss was just casual to her, and as soon as she would walk out the door she'd barely even remember it. Now why couldn't she do that this time?

_"I'm on your side, remember?"_

She couldn't help but groan out loud in frustration. Luckily the guy just mistook it for lust. _Of course only Quinn Fabray has the ability to mess with my sanity like that._

"God… The other girls don't compare to you, ya know that? You're officially my favorite," the guy whispered in her ear, before almost growling as if he wanted to sink his teeth into her delicate skin. Once again she barely noticed, as she remembered the night of her breakdown.

_"I don't need to study psychology to know you. You're scared even though you won't admit it. You try to act all tough so you won't fall apart."_

Quinn could read her like an open book… It was frightening, and at the same time it was… comforting, to know that Quinn understood her. Truth be told, nobody ever really understood her as well as Quinn. After all, they always were two ends of the same bitch-goddess spectrum… They were more alike than either of them would've liked to admit. In a way it didn't really make sense how they – relatively – got along lately, but at the same time, it also made perfect sense.

_"I told you I wasn't going to leave you. I meant it."_

Quinn was insane. _That_ Santana knew for a fact. Quinn stuck by her word, despite Santana putting in _so_ much effort to keep her away. How many times had she run out that door, having Quinn chase her? What sane person would still come back after nearly getting threatened? Santana always thought Quinn would end up running away from her. But whatever happened, Quinn kept proving her wrong.

_"You have me. Okay?"_

What if that's all she ever really wanted? For someone to stay by her side. Someone who was able to see past her attitude. Someone who wouldn't let go. Someone as goddamn stubborn as herself… So…what if that someone was indeed, none other than Quinn Fabray?

"Mmm, do you have any idea what you do to me?" Just as the guy lifted his hands to Santana's back to pull her closer she stepped off.

She gave him a little playful slap on the cheek. "Sorry, song's over."

"Why you gotta go and do that…" he whined, staying put as Santana walked out of the backroom.

As Santana made her way into the dressing room for her break, she checked her phone to find that someone left her voicemail. It was no surprise that it was from Quinn. Hesitantly, she dialed the number to listen.

_"Santana… I'm sorry… I don't know what got into me. I know you're confused, and trust me, I'm even more confused… Honestly I don't know what to say… I just want you to know that I care about you… And I don't want to lose you. I realize I may have just ruined the chances of that, but can we talk? Please."_

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Crystalised by The XX**


	18. If I Lose Myself

**Note:** Where I am it's 12AM, and that means that it's my 21st birthdaaay. So this somewhat longer chapter is my treat to you! Though, first I'd like to thank you for your reviews! Let me just quickly address some.

**_niccici30:_ **Glad you see it that way!  
**_LovezFanFic_: **Think you'll like this chapter :)  
**_Gracksies_: **Thanks! I was worried it might be a little confusing.  
**_ErosEternaGlee_: **I already sent you a PM, but I just wanted to thank you again for reviewing so often!  
**_madpep:_**Thank you!  
**_TakeMyBreathAwayTwoTimes_**: Thanks a lot! Though I'm happy to have an excuse to listen to songs nonetheless, I'm glad someone else notices them!  
**_Bela23:_**Thank you, and here you have it!  
**_FabPez:_ **Well hi lovely yourself! Thank you for reviewing! Haha really? I thought it lacked sexuality, but we'll see where that goesss. I don't mind nonsense at all, I get what you're saying. Though, a rock that brings light into darkness and speaks wise words… wow. Haha! No seriously though, loved your review. As for Tumblr, I'll be honest, I have an account on pretty much every social media site out there, but Tumblr is the one thing I can't figure out. I just don't get it :( But maybe I'll have another look at it later!

With that being said, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The next morning Quinn woke up around nine, due to last night she hadn't gotten a lot of sleep. After scrunching her eyes in an attempt to adjust to the light she reached over to the nightstand to grab her phone. As the screen lit up she noticed she received a few texts, though… none from Santana. She shouldn't be surprised right? She felt like beating herself up again, kissing Santana was stupid. But still…

She sighed before scrolling down to check her messages. There were two from her mom and one from Rachel.

**_8:41 _****_MOM_**_: Honey how are you? You haven't called in a while, just wanted to make sure you're okay. I miss you. Love, mom._

**_8:43 MOM_**_: I almost forgot, I was cleaning up some stuff in the attic and I found some old notebooks from back when you were in kindergarten. Would you like me to keep them?_

Quinn knew her mom missed her. She felt bad for not calling so often lately, but she just didn't want to lie to her about how she was doing at CU. Though not saying anything at all wasn't exactly the best solution either, so she sent a reply.

**_9:10_ **_I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm fine though, how are things at home? And you can throw those books away, it's not like I'm going to use them again anyway. Love you and miss you too. I promise I'll come visit soon. _

Next she scrolled over to Rachel's text.

**_9:01 RACHEL: _**_Sooo… Are you and Santana coming tonight? We'd love it if you guys could join us, let me know!_

_Right… _After last night Quinn forgot she hadn't even replied to Rachel's text yet. Too be honest, she wasn't really in the mood to go, but then again… what did she have to lose? Any distraction was welcome at this point, surely if she'd spend the night at home she would stay up and think about how Santana was… working… Now _that_ she couldn't handle. With that she quickly made up her mind and starting typing out a response.

**_9:13 _**_Yeah, it'll just be me though. What time are you guys going? Sorry for the late reply._

Almost immediately she received a text back. Knowing Rachel, she was probably already eagerly waiting for Quinn to respond. She felt another tiny rush of guilt come over her.

**_9:14 RACHEL: _**_That's fine. We were thinking nine o'clock, and why isn't Santana coming? Is she still upset with us? _

**_9:14 RACHEL: _**_She is, isn't she? You can tell me!_

Quinn frowned, she couldn't help but picture Rachel's face while reading those texts… and imagine it being attached to Kurt's. She let out another sigh. She couldn't deny Santana wasn't exactly excited about the idea of going, but she wasn't going to tell Rachel how Quinn was the one to make _sure_ Santana wasn't coming.

**_9:16 _**_No, she has work tonight so… _

**_9:16 RACHEL: _**_Oh… that's too bad… Maybe next time then, right?_

Quinn's face dropped a little. _Next time_… Yeah, that was probably not going to happen anytime soon… Santana hadn't even bothered to respond to Quinn's voicemail, or the texts she sent her afterwards. She didn't know what was going through Santana's mind, and it was driving her insane.

She shook her head, this was ridiculous. Here she was, drowning herself in pity because Santana refused to talk to her. No, she would keep her head up high because _that's_ what Quinn Fabray does. Not to mention she had to, because she had class in less than two hours. She figured she couldn't keep skipping classes or she'd get into some serious trouble, and she wasn't going to explain to her mom how she got herself kicked out of college.

* * *

"Shit!" Quinn cursed as she ran up the stairs on her way to the classroom. She was running late and she knew her teachers would give her crap for it. Even though she got ready in time, she couldn't find her keys when she wanted to leave the apartment. Turns out the damn things got stuck between the couch. She couldn't help but feel like luck wasn't on her side today.

"Good morning, miss Fabray."

Quinn looked up to find the somewhat older woman staring her down. _Ms. Monroe. _Her dark hair was tied up in a neat bun, adding to her strict appearance. She has never been Quinn's favorite teacher and Quinn was by far her favorite student. Judging from the looks of it, she wasn't going to get away with this easily.

"I – I'm sorry I'm late," she panted. "I lost my keys and –"

"Save it. Miss Fabray, clearly you do not take these classes seriously or you would've managed to be on time like the rest of the students."

"But I'm not even that late!" Quinn tried to reason. It was true, she was barely three minutes late. Nonetheless she earned herself an annoyed expression from her teacher.

"That's your excuse? My, I would've thought you'd come up with something better," the woman spoke, slightly tilting her head.

"Well I told you I lost my keys…" Quinn mumbled while looking away.

"What's that?"

"Nothing." Quinn shook her head. "You know what, forget it."

"Hmm," the woman hummed, arching her eyebrows.

Quinn rolled her eyes and turned around, but just as she prepared herself to walk away she felt the woman's hand on her shoulder.

"Did I give you permission to leave?"

Quinn faced her with a puzzled frown. "No… But you didn't exactly give me permission to stay either," she pointed out.

The woman sighed. "Sit." She pointed at the empty chair, which was obviously in the front of the classroom.

"Okay…" Quinn replied, still looking at her in disbelief. As she made her way over to the empty seat, she couldn't help but feel like this was some kind of scheme to bully her during class. Though much to her surprise, class wasn't that bad. Time didn't pass as slowly as it usually did, and Quinn actually managed to pay attention. She wondered why miss Monroe had chosen to give her a break, it was strange that she of all people was – more or less – being nice to her.

Unfortunately the rest of her classes were less "amusing". But even though most teachers were still out to get her, for the first time in a while, it was bearable. Just maybe, things would pass over time. Maybe.

"Miss Fabray."

Or maybe not.

As she walked down the halls she stopped to turn around, only to find Mr. Bates standing in front of her. It was the teacher that had kicked her out last time. _Great._

"Your homework. You haven't been turning it in." His voice sounded low as he looked at her with a frown.

She tried not to let his expression affect her. "I've been busy…"

"Oh, well then I suppose it's alright," he spoke in undeniable sarcasm.

Quinn simply stared at him, starting to feel a little irritated.

"Care to tell me what's keeping you from doing your homework?" he asked.

At that Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. "I'd rather not."

_As if the asshole doesn't know._

His expression remained the same as he continued. "If you're not able to give me a valid reason for not turning in your assignments, I will have to suspend you from this class."

"What?" Even though it shouldn't be a surprise, she couldn't help but look at him disbelief. "You can't do that. I need the credits!"

"You should've thought of that before, miss Fabray."

"Please, you can't kick me out of this class…" Quinn pleaded.

The man shot her a sly smile. "Alright. If you turn in all the homework you've missed out on by next Wednesday – and this week's assignment of course – I might reconsider."

"But that's impossible!" Quinn called out, causing a few students to turn their heads. "I can't do all that in less than a week."

"Take it or leave it," he spoke before walking away.

"Asshole," Quinn mumbled through gritted teeth, though making sure he didn't hear it. She couldn't risk getting into more trouble. But even now, there was no way she could pull this off…

She couldn't help but wish Santana was here. She could really use someone to talk to. What happened to being on each other's sides?

At the end of the day she was relieved to finally go home. As she walked into her apartment she went straight for her bedroom, dropping herself onto the bed. She sighed before grabbing her phone once again.

_Still,_ nothing from Santana…

She wished it didn't affect her as much as it did. She wondered, where was Santana right now? What was she thinking?

She quickly shook her head. _Stop it Quinn, this is pathetic. _Never in her life would she have seen this day coming, the day that she felt like dropping to her knees because _Santana Lopez _wouldn't call her back. At the same time she couldn't help but feel a little agitated. Why couldn't Santana even _talk _to her? After all the effort Quinn put in to chase her around, you'd think the least Santana could to was to _try_ and talk to her.

Luckily Rachel and Kurt had offered her the perfect distraction. A careless night out. Around eight she started to get ready. She threw on a blue dress and pulled a white cardigan from her closet to go with it.

All set.

* * *

"Quinn!" Rachel ran over to her as she walked through the entrance of the club, if you could call it that.

"Hey Rach," Quinn greeted with a smile before pulling Rachel in for a hug. As she pulled away she looked around, she had to admit, it was a nice place. Not too big, not too small, and there were quite a lot of people. There were two boys up on the stage, singing – or _attempting_ to sing – Icona Pop's I Love It. It sounded horrible but then again, it was one of those songs you had to yell out anyway. At least they were having fun doing it.

"Kurt and I are sitting over there," Rachel spoke as she pointed at the table near the bar. "We already requested a song – just have to wait for those amateurs to be done – I'm so glad you decided to come!"

Clearly Rachel was excited, and Quinn couldn't help but chuckle a little at Rachel's enthusiasm. She was already starting to feel a little better. "Me too."

She followed Rachel to the table where Kurt stood up to hug Quinn. "I can't believe you're here, tonight's gonna be so much fun," Kurt exclaimed, obviously sharing Rachel's enthusiasm.

"Yeah, too bad Santana couldn't come. She looked like she could really use the pick-me-up," Rachel pointed out.

Quinn's face fell a tiny bit at the mention of Santana's name. For just a moment she managed to forget about what happened. It didn't take long for her to remember last night.

_"I can't do this Quinn."_

The feeling of rejection still stung like a bitch. She quickly tried to shrug it off. She wasn't going to let it ruin her night.

"So what song did you guys pick?" Quinn asked, causing both Rachel as well as Kurt to frown a little. Of course… She didn't even bother to comment on Santana not being here.

"Uhm… ABBA," Kurt mumbled as he kept looking at Quinn.

_I'll be damned. _Quinn could only picture Santana's reaction.

"Mamma mia," Rachel added, unable to hide a smile at the thought.

"Are you and Santana fighting again or something?" Kurt asked, squinting his eyes.

Quinn looked up a little panicked. "What? No, I told you she has to work. Why would you think that?" she managed before frowning.

"Just… You know what, never mind. Tonight's all about fun." Kurt smiled as Rachel nodded in agreement.

Quinn sighed, grateful Kurt decided to let it go. She shot them a smile just before they were being called up to the stage.

"That's us!" Kurt announced before walking off.

Just as Rachel got up to follow him she looked over at Quinn who made no attempt to leave her chair. "Quinn come join us!"

"ABBA?" Quinn cocked an eyebrow before shaking her head. "No no, pass…"

But Rachel wasn't going to give up that easily. "Come on, everybody loves ABBA."

Quinn hesitated as Rachel reached out her hand. "You know you want to…"

"I… No seriously I –"

She didn't get the chance to argue, Rachel hauled her up to her feet and she knew she wasn't going to get out of this. She couldn't help but laugh as Rachel dragged her to the stage. _Alright… _She had to admit, she did love ABBA. If she would've stayed at the table she would end up singing along anyway.

Kurt smiled as Rachel and Quinn stepped up to join him. When the music started Quinn chuckled, raising her hands to hide her face. "Oh god we're really doing this?"

"Less talking, more singing!" Kurt spoke before blurting out the first lines with Rachel. Those two divas… It was quite the sight, but when the chorus started Quinn couldn't fight it anymore. What was the point of being up on stage if she was just going to stand around?

_Mamma mia, here I go again  
My my, how can I resist you?  
Mamma mia, does it show again?  
My my, just how much I've missed you  
Yes, I've been brokenhearted  
Blue since the day we parted  
Why, why did I ever let you go?  
Mamma mia, now I really know,  
My my, I could never let you go._

_I've been angry and sad about the things that you do_  
_I can't count all the times that I've told you we're through_

_**And when you go, when you slam the door  
I think you know that you won't be away too long**__  
You know that I'm not that strong.  
Just one look and I can hear a bell ring  
One more look and I forget everything, ooh_

___Mamma mia, here I go again  
My my, how can I resist you?  
Mamma mia, does it show again?  
My my, just how much I've missed you  
Yes, I've been brokenhearted  
Blue since the day we parted  
Why, why did I ever let you go?  
Mamma mia, now I really know,  
My my, I could never let you go_

After finishing the song they all burst out in laughter and made their way back to the table.

"Come oooon," Rachel taunted as she looked at Quinn. "You loved it. Admit it."

Quinn rolled her eyes before another smile crept up to her lips. "Fine, yeah it was fun."

Kurt clapped excitedly in response. "Yay! So what song are we gonna do next?"

"Whoa, easy there Kurt," Quinn laughed.

While Rachel and Kurt deliberated – yes, _deliberated_, song choices were not to be taken lightly – Quinn peaked into her bag to check her phone. As much as she didn't want the whole mess with Santana to bother her… She still couldn't help but feel the need for an answer. A word from her. _Anything. _Though as expected by now, she still hadn't received a message from Santana. She was probably already off to work… Quinn could feel herself getting upset all over again at the thought.

"So what do you think?" she suddenly heard Rachel's voice chime in.

"Huh?" Quinn looked up, slowly crawling out of her daze.

"Where's your head at Quinn?" Kurt asked with a somewhat worried expression.

"Uhm, yeah sorry. I was just thinking about… a song to sing." _Worst. Liar. Ever._

"Okay… So what song did you pick?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Haven't decided yet."

Quinn could tell Kurt was questioning her, but as promised, tonight would be about fun. "Well, you can sing along with me… _I _want to do Don't Tell Me by Madonna, but Rachel won't do it."

"It just isn't really my style," Rachel explained. "Why can't we do Don't Rain on My Parade?"

"Because – no offense Rach – I can't handle hearing that song anymore. Ever since we live together I hear you blurt it out in the shower every morning, and at least twice before you go to sleep. Besides, this is karaoke, not a winter showcase," Kurt muttered.

"Well fine… I won't do it…" Rachel replied, a little hurt.

Kurt sighed before looking back up at Rachel who sat there pouting. "I'm sorry. Look, I love you to death, but can we please skip that song for one night?" he asked now gently.

Rachel nodded, her lips slightly curving upwards.

Kurt now turned to Quinn. "So Quinn, how about you? Madonna, you in?"

Quinn shook her head. "No thanks, I think I'm gonna sit this one out," she answered with a smile. "We'll just cheer you on from here."

"Okay, suit yourself."

As Kurt left to get back on stage, Quinn stayed behind with Rachel.

"So, are enjoying yourself?" Rachel asked.

Quinn managed a smile as she nodded.

"You look like something's bothering you," Rachel admitted.

"I'm just a little tired. Didn't get a lot of sleep tonight." Quinn figured it wasn't exactly a lie. "I'm fine."

"Okay. But if something's wrong you know you can talk to me right?"

"Yeah," Quinn nodded, offering Rachel a grateful smile.

They both looked over at Kurt who was now doing a little cowboy dance while singing. Quinn had to admit, the boy did rock those moves. She couldn't help but laugh, he must've memorized the choreography.

"Hey I thought you said Santana wasn't coming?" Rachel suddenly said as she pointed at the entrance.

"What? She wasn't, what are you –"

Before Quinn could finish her sentence her eyes fell on Santana, who was now walking through the door. Santana was actually here… and she looked stunning. Her tight red dress accentuated her flawless features, and that black leather jacket never lost its touch. It was like it was made to fit her. As Quinn processed the sight, questions started popping into her head. Why was she here? Why wasn't she at work? Was she still mad? Did she get Quinn's texts?

Before she knew it, Santana was standing right in front of her. She found herself staring into those deep brown eyes she's been longing to see. Santana was looking at her with an unreadable expression, It was intriguing yet frightening at the same time, not knowing what was going through her mind.

"So you've decided to join us," Rachel spoke, breaking the silence between them.

"Not exactly… I'm here to talk to Quinn." With that, Santana looked back over at Quinn. "Can we talk, outside?"

"Uhm… Sure…" Quinn replied, not sure what to make of it. Part of her was undeniably happy to see Santana, yet another part of her was anxious to see why she came.

"Rach, I'll be right back okay?"

Rachel nodded as Quinn followed Santana outside. They stopped at a somewhat quiet corner and for a moment, it was painfully silent. Quinn could tell Santana was struggling to come up with whatever it was she wanted to say, so she decided to go first.

"Look Santana… About last night –"

Before she could finish she was cut off, Santana suddenly held up her hand. "Don't."

Quinn swallowed back her words, feeling a little hurt. She didn't get the chance to respond however, as Santana spoke again.

"Just… Before you say anything…" She looked down, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. "I've been thinking."

"Yeah?" Quinn asked, still unsure about where this was going.

"Yeah. I… I'm still kind of mad at you about… last night, but… I guess, I started to realize that…"

Quinn kept looking at Santana, waiting for her to make sense of it all.

Santana sighed. "This is not easy for me okay? I'm not… Ugh."

"What is it?" Quinn pressed, now starting to get a little impatient.

"I – for God's sake." She scrunched her eyebrows in frustration. "Screw this."

Just as Quinn was about to question her she suddenly felt Santana wrapping her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Santana gave her one last meaningful glance, before crashing her lips into Quinn's.

When they pulled apart again it was Quinn's turn to be shocked.

Did Santana really kiss her? Was this actually happening? _Fuck. _Shocked or not, Quinn couldn't stop herself from wanting more. This was what Quinn had been wanting Santana to do ever since she walked out that door.

For a moment they simply looked at each other, both a little unsure… but clearly filled with want, and need.

Without wasting any more time, they leaned forward to each other, gently brushing their lips together before immsering themselves into another kiss. It started out gently, but it turned more heated by the second. Soon Quinn lifted her hands to the back of Santana's neck, deepening the kiss. Although she still didn't really understand what this was, she decided to go with her instinct. In response Santana stepped forward, pinning Quinn against the wall without breaking contact, causing a moan to escape from Quinn's mouth. _This was heaven._

The kiss was eager, a little sloppy maybe, but passionate? Definitely. Quinn's heart raced, and she could feel that Santana's did too.

Right now they couldn't care less about _what it means. _They knew talking about it would be necessary, but it was a question they could save for later.

When they finally found themselves running out of air, their lips parted, allowing their eyes to meet again. Slowly but surely a smile appeared on Quinn's face.

Maybe luck was on her side today after all.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic**


	19. Flaws

**Note: **So it's been a little while, but here's another chapter. Though I might still need some time to really get back into it haha! Well nonetheless, I hope you enjoy :)

Oh wait I promised **ErosEternaGlee **a citation! Well first and foremost, thank you for reviewing! (That goes for anyone by the way!) Anyhow, I kept your PM in mind as I wrote this chapter, so I hope you like it. Totally missing cards, flowers and chocolate though.

* * *

Still feeling Quinn's hot breath against her skin, the kiss had left Santana reeling. She looked at Quinn and she couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she looked. It wasn't something she would easily admit, but… _wow. _

Sometimes it takes a little action to really _see _someone, to change one's perspective. And for the first time, Santana really did see Quinn.

Barely an inch away, she looked up into Quinn's perfect hazel eyes. Her eyes were hiding scars and emotions, they were vaguely visible yet unmistakably there. To Santana, there was a certain charm about it. She noticed the corners of Quinn's mouth curve into a smile. It made something in Santana's heart warm for the first time since… Well since Brittany. She let her eyes wander back down to Quinn's lips – which were now all of the sudden emitting an insane amount of sexy – and couldn't help but feel herself getting drawn back in.

She wasn't gonna lie, she had her doubts about coming here tonight. Quinn had sent her a dozen of texts. Even though she hadn't replied, Santana read _every_ _single_ _one_ of them. She hoped they would help her provide some sort of clarity, but her head's been nothing but a jumbled mess. How could something as simple as a text explain that kiss? And how could it explain her own feelings? Nothing about this was simple, Santana knew that even as she walked into this place to find Quinn. Though one thing she was sure of. If there was something _real _in here… She couldn't be stupid enough not to take the chance.

"What happened to work…" Quinn whispered, smiling as her face still lingered in front of Santana's.

"Took a night off," Santana replied, still fighting her want to lean into another kiss. She could feel a part of her façade crumbling. What just happened was more than just a kiss. Kissing Quinn was as if she was admitting to herself that she missed being close to someone. Over these past few months she refused to give anyone the chance to get close to her, mainly because she knew – or at least she _thought_ she knew – people would always end up leaving. And yet, here was Quinn… Quinn Fabray of all people, proving her the opposite. This newfound chemistry… It was still confusing as hell. After their history as frenemies this moment seemed to be unthinkable. She couldn't help but wonder if Quinn felt the same way.

"Quinn…" Santana paused. "What am I… to you?" she asked, suddenly sounding a lot more insecure than she had intended.

Quinn's smile faded slightly as she looked down, breaking eye-contact for the first time since the kiss. She took a moment before responding. "I… I'm not sure."

Santana nodded, looking down as if she was hoping for a better response. She wasn't sure why. This was completely new territory for her, for either of them. How could she have any expectations? Clearly Quinn caught Santana's change in demeanor. She put her hand up to Santana's cheek, forcing her to look back up into Quinn's eyes.

"But this isn't just some kind of experiment to me. I'm not trying to hurt you." The tone in Quinn's voice sounded serious, but sincere. As much as Santana was aware of the fact that Quinn could be a total bitch, she believed her.

"I care about you," Quinn continued. "And… Maybe it's because we've been spending all this time together – I don't know, it's just…"

"What?"

Quinn sighed. "As much as you _try_ to act like a bitch… you've still treated me better than anyone ever has. You made me feel better when I wasn't sure that anyone could. I mean, you even risked your _life_ for me, back in that alley."

Santana shook her head. "He tried to get to you because you were with _me,_ _I_ was the one who got you in danger in the first place. And I never should've done that."

"Done what?" Quinn suddenly spoke a little louder. "Allow me to be your friend? I'm not gonna lie about the fact that you've made a mess of things, but you had your reasons. Santana, it doesn't mean you deserve to be alone."

Santana shook her head again as she tried to move away from Quinn, who still had her back leaned against the wall. "I… I'm not –"

"No!" Quinn firmly grabbed Santana's hand, though still making sure she didn't hurt her. She pulled her back in front of her, facing her with a piercing gaze. "I'm not gonna let you feel guilty when there's nothing to feel guilty about! Santana you're so much more than you give yourself credit for. You're not just this brave girl trying to save her mother. You're smart, you're insanely talented, you're drop dead gorgeous, you stand up for your friends, you're strong and –"

"Quinn, don't –"

Before Santana had the chance to finish Quinn pushed herself forward and broke her sentence off with a kiss.

As she pulled away again she looked back at Santana. "And… I'm attracted. To you."

Santana's mouth fell open.

"I don't want to stop spending time with you," Quinn continued. "I _like _being around you. I think about you all the time and it scares the hell out of me. I get so _jealous_," Quinn laughed briefly as the word escaped her mouth, "when I think about you and those guys in that damn strip club, it doesn't even make sense but… I just… _want_… you."

This time Santana's was left absolutely speechless. For a moment they just stared at each other, clearly both still a little dumbfounded by their emotions. This would be the time to tell Quinn about her own feelings, but Santana was still failing to form coherent thoughts after Quinn's confession. The silence was killing Quinn, Santana knew that for sure. Quinn wasn't one to spill her guts like that, especially to Santana.

"Are you…" Quinn whispered, not needing to finish the question to make Santana understand what she was getting at.

"I came… didn't I?" Santana didn't quite know what to say, she was never really good at expressing feelings. Though that shouldn't be an excuse, she knew Quinn deserved a real answer. "Yesterday… _you_," Santana corrected. "_You_ made me realize I wasn't really living. I didn't allow anyone to get… close to me. These past few months I've been pulling away from my friends, from everyone. After my dad left and… I was just scared that, I…" Santana looked down, finding it hard to look at anyone at all when she was this vulnerable.

Suddenly she felt Quinn's hand on hers, comforting her. She looked back up, expecting to be met with judgmental eyes… But instead, she was met with the most warm and understanding eyes. For split second she thought of how different this was from back in high school.

Santana shot Quinn a small smile as she composed herself. She needed to get this out.

"Then there was you… I – I know I can be a hothead, okay? But you stuck by me, and you've really been there for me. I don't even think you can understand how much that means to me. You just barged into my life and changed everything. I didn't even realize how much until… Last night, it just opened up my eyes. It really did."

"Yeah?" Quinn smiled briefly.

Santana nodded. "You've been amazing, and you deserve to be treated well. I hope you don't ever doubt that." She made sure to keep eye-contact with Quinn, as if to emphasize her words. Then, her expression softened. "And… I don't want to stop spending time with you either…"

She put her hands back around Quinn's waist, slowly leaning forward into a kiss. This was the only language Santana felt comfortable speaking, and she knew that it was the most honest answer to Quinn's question. She felt Quinn smile against her lips, making her heart warm once again.

"So… what is this…" Santana whispered as she pulled away.

"This…" Quinn paused for a moment to take her eyes away from Santana's lips. "_This,_ is us trying to figure that out."

Santana couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "I thought you were supposed to be smart."

Quinn laughed. "Well as you know I'm not really an expert in the whole love and dating department."

"Neither am I," Santana replied with a shrug before another smile crept to her lips. "Guess we'll figure it out together."

"Guess so…" Quinn whispered huskily. Just as she was about to pull Santana in for another kiss she was suddenly startled by Rachel's voice.

"Quinn! Quinn where are you? Is Santana still – oh." Rachel now stood a few feet away from Santana and Quinn, who quickly had jumped apart luckily right before Rachel caught them.

"I was just… You were gone for a pretty long time and I was starting to get worried." Rachel looked away, and even though she hadn't caught Santana and Quinn doing anything she still looked rather uncomfortable.

Quinn walked up to Rachel. "I'm sorry. Santana and I just needed to… _talk… _about something, I'm fine."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Quinn, as if she was trying to get a read on her. "Well you do look fine… Are you _blushing_?"

"What? That's ridiculous Rachel." Quinn laughed and managed to play it off surprisingly cool.

Rachel peeked around Quinn to look at Santana, she seemed to notice something in the air but apparently she decided not to push for the matter.

"Well… Kurt and I were about to order some drinks. Santana… Do you want to join us? I mean, the invite was for you too after all." Rachel shot Santana a sympathetic smile.

It was now Santana's turn to look uncomfortable. She hadn't really thought about what she would be barging in on, she was really just looking for Quinn tonight. "I uhm… I don't know…"

Quinn turned around to face Santana. "Come on. It actually is sort of fun," she admitted. "Think you could use some of that on your night off."

"Quinn, I don't know, maybe it's better if –"

"Don't go," Quinn practically whispered by now, and Santana knew she wasn't just referring to karaoke-night. She realized she couldn't keep walking away from Quinn. She had done that so many times, and Quinn didn't deserve that.

Santana gave her an apologetic smile. "Sure."

Quinn mouthed her a "thank you".

"Great!" Rachel exclaimed. "So I was thinking, the four of us could sing –"

"Whoa, Berry hold it right there," Santana cut her off, turning back towards Rachel. "I'm not singing, I just agreed to come in."

Santana saw her face drop. She let out a sigh. If anyone nailed the kicked puppydog look, it was Rachel. "I mean… Let's just… take it easy."

She tried her best to go about this nicely. After months of isolating herself Santana had grown accustomed to being alone. She didn't really know how to act around… _friends_… anymore. And starting off with the little ball of sunshine that is Rachel Berry… It was just a little overwhelming.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said softly. "I was just glad we could spend some time together."

That caught Santana a little off guard. She hadn't taken into consideration that Rachel and Kurt might _actually_ want to spend time with her.

"I just miss how close everyone used to be in glee club," Rachel explained.

Santana nodded in understanding. She shot her a small smile. "Me too…"

Rachel returned a smile that quickly turned into a wide grin. "Then let's go inside and have some fun!"

She turned around and started pacing for the door, though pausing for a moment on her way there. "Oh, and Quinn, there's some dirt on the back of your jacket." With that she made her way inside.

Quinn's jaw slightly dropped in surprise, until she finally convinced herself that Rachel couldn't have known what had happened before she walked into them. She couldn't have, right? "Damn dirty walls…" she mumbled as she tried to rub off the dirt on her jacket.

As Quinn looked up Santana playfully cocked an eyebrow at her. Making out with Quinn against a back wall… Yeah, it was pretty crazy, confusing, unexpected… but it was also ridiculously hot. As a smirk appeared on her face, Santana couldn't help but feel a little part of her old self return.

Quinn smiled as she shook her head. "Don't get cocky with me, I will still slap you."

Santana laughed before she followed Quinn inside. "I know you will."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Flaws by Bastille**


	20. Pumped Up Kicks

**Note: **Again, thank you for your reviews. As for the guest who asked me not to kill Santana's mother off (wow, that sounds kind of odd out of context), I have made up my mind about that. Can't tell you what her fate will be, but you'll figure it out soon enough!

With that being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

"Come on Santana, sing with me," Rachel said as she tugged at Santana's hand. "I've requested a song I _know_ you will like."

The night's been fun so far, but Santana hasn't gotten on stage yet. Quinn watched Santana's face contort a little. It probably wasn't that Santana didn't want to sing, she just needed some time to get use to doing things _she_ wanted. Judging from these past few weeks Santana hasn't really been paying a lot of attention to herself. She worried about her mom most of the time – with every right – and it felt like she was always on edge. Seeing Santana cringe as Rachel continued to try and pull her up Quinn almost felt guilty for making Santana stay. But she realized Santana needed this, a night that was just about fun. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

Quinn looked at Santana and saw her silently plead for help. Quinn however refused to give in. "Santana, I think you should give it a try. You might actually enjoy it."

Santana sighed, clearly that wasn't the help she was hoping for.

"Quinn's right, and I know for a fact you will enjoy it," Rachel stated with a smile.

Santana frowned. "Berry what song did you pick?"

Rachel shook her head. "You'll find out as soon as you get up off your ass and join me on stage."

"Ugh fine. If that's what it takes to shut you up," Santana muttered as she got up.

Rachel chuckled as she guided Santana to the stage. She knew this was all she was going to get out of Santana, and she would gladly take it.

"Have fun!" Quinn shouted from the table with Kurt, and she could instantly feel Santana glare at her from across the room. So Quinn subtly blew her a kiss, causing Santana's expression to soften again. Oh, what a night this was.

As soon as Santana and Rachel settled on stage, drums started playing an up-tempo beat. A bass line filled the room and people recognized immediately that Rachel had picked "Valerie". They started clapping as Quinn nodded at Rachel's choice. She noticed Santana couldn't help but smile, as much as she tried.

_Well sometimes I go out by myself  
and I look across the water  
and I think of all the things what you're doing  
and in my head I paint a picture_

It still took Rachel singing the first few lines before Santana finally gave in. But when she did, she really let go of herself. And that's all Quinn wanted for her, just to loosen up.

_cause since I've come home, well my body's been a mess  
and I miss your ginger hair and the way you like to dress_

_Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me  
__Why don't you come on over Valerie_

_Did you have to go to jail, put your house out up for sale, did you get a good lawyer?  
Hope you didn't catch a tan, hope you find a right man who'll fix it for you  
Are you shopping anywhere, change the colour of your hair? Are you busy?_

By now Santana and Rachel were clearly enjoying themselves together. Rachel Berry and Santana Lopez, singing together and making funny faces… Who would've thought?

"She looks happy, doesn't she?" Kurt asked, noticing how Quinn was watching Santana.

Quinn nodded as she kept her eyes on her. "Yeah, she does."

Seeing Santana up on stage like that caused Quinn's heart to flutter. This was a side of Santana she hadn't gotten to see a lot lately. And it made Quinn want to kiss her even more. However, Kurt and Rachel didn't have to know about what was going on between them yet. Not until they figured it out themselves anyway.

_Did you have to pay that fine, that you were dodging all the time, are you still busy_  
_Well since I've come home, well my body's been a mess  
__and I miss your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress_

_Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me  
__Why don't you come on over Valerie_

Santana smiled as she motioned for Quinn to come over as Rachel did the same with Kurt. Quinn and Kurt exchanged a glance before gladly getting up and joining them on stage. Santana welcomed Quinn with a hug and a subtle look that said something in between the lines of "I want to kiss you".

_Well sometimes I go out by myself, and I look across the water  
and I think of all the things what you're doing, and in my head I paint a picture  
Well since I've come home, well my body's been a mess  
__and I miss your ginger hair, and the way you like to dress_

_Won't you come on over, stop making a fool out of me  
__Why don't you come on over Valerie_

They finished the song together and Quinn had to admit, tonight may be the best night she's ever had. She was sure Santana was having a good time as well.

"You guys go ahead, Kurt and I wanted to do one more song together," Rachel announced as Quinn and Santana stepped off stage.

Quinn nodded. "Go for it."

She made her way back to the table with Santana. "Come on," Quinn started as they sat down. "Don't tell me you didn't have fun."

Santana didn't reply, she just smiled and it was an obvious answer.

Quinn took a moment to look at Santana, unable to help her own smile. Santana felt Quinn's eyes glued to her and lifted an eyebrow in response.

"What?" Santana asked.

"It's just good to see you smile."

Santana rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like I've been going all Kristen Stewart on you. It's not like I haven't done it before."

Quinn shook her head. "Not like that. Not since I ran into you that night, anyway."

Santana shrugged. "Guess you could say I'm having a good day."

"Does that have anything to do with a particular hot blonde?" Quinn teased, throwing Santana a luscious look.

Santana scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh – my god. If I had known you would turn into this…"

"You wouldn't have kissed me?" Quinn asked as she raised an eyebrow, daring Santana to answer.

Santana playfully narrowed her eyes at Quinn. "Well I would've gone all Lima Heights on you first. And then kiss you."

"Cute," Quinn replied, slightly tilting her head upwards, not sure if she should should be scared or find it endearing.

They turned their heads to see Kurt and Rachel, singing "Call me maybe". It was a fun sight. It reminded both Santana and Quinn that life didn't always have to be complicated. At least, not all the time.

"Quinn…" Santana started. "Thanks. For tonight I mean."

"What part of it exactly?" Quinn said with a chuckle.

Santana could only smile. "All of it."

Beneath the table, Quinn reached out her hand to Santana's. "You deserve it."

"So do you Quinn. I know college has been tough on you."

Quinn sighed. "Yeah it has. But… I know… Things will get better." She wasn't sure if she was entirely convinced, but she had to hold on to something.

Santana nodded, giving Quinn's hand a light squeeze.

"For both of us," Quinn added.

Santana shot her a sympathetic smile. "I hope you're right."

Quinn would've loved to confirm that with a kiss, but that would have to come later. Right now was enough. In this moment they were both in a good place, what more could any of them ask for? People strive so hard to make things better and become happy, but they often forget to pause for a moment. And take that moment to actually _be_ happy. But tonight, that's what they did.

When they looked back at Kurt and Rachel they saw Rachel frantically jumping around. Or dancing, might be what she would call it.

"How did we _ever_ become friends with them?" Santana joked, shaking her head.

"I honestly don't know," Quinn admitted as she quirked an eyebrow at Rachel's interesting movements. "They're good people though."

"Good people…" Santana repeated, agreeing to accept that as a reason. She let out a sigh. "You know, I can't stand them a lot of the time but –"

"Really… I hadn't noticed," Quinn remarked sarcastically.

Santana rolled her eyes before continuing. "_But_, I kind of had fun tonight… Maybe I should thank them."

Quinn playfully gasped. "Santana Lopez, is that you?"

"Shut up Fabray," Santana replied with a scoff.

"Never mind. There she is," Quinn said as she furrowed her eyebrows, causing Santana to make a face.

"Sorry, it was just weird to hear you talk like that about Rachel and Kurt of all people."

"Tell me about it," Santana huffed. "I must have like a fever or something. I think Kurt and Rachel are nice people and I made out with my arch enemy."

"Arch enemy?" Quinn laughed.

Santana shrugged. "Sometimes. You did kind of rob me off that captain's spot and put me on the bottom of the pyramid in cheerios."

"You're still not over that?" Quinn replied with a chuckle. "Anyway you stole my boyfriend just for spite."

It was funny how they could laugh about it now, when back then, high school drama seemed like the most important thing in life. In the end all that superficial stuff didn't seem to matter that much.

"You're right though, I never would've seen this day coming," Quinn continued. "But I'm glad it did."

"Sure about that?" Santana teased, playfully raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

It was almost as if nothing had changed. The same playful banter was still there, and Quinn knew that there would be times she would still want to rip Santana's head off. But the truth was, things have, _undeniably_ changed. Even when a lot of things remained the same, it was only after tonight they had both openly admitted to themselves and to each other, that whatever happened, it would always be underlined by care, friendship, and… maybe love, eventually.

"We're the two hottest bitches in this joint. When you think about it, we shouldn't be that surprised," Santana said with a smirk.

Quinn rolled her eyes before looking at Santana with a warm smile. A moment later Kurt and Rachel had finished their song and made their way back to the table.

"So, how were we?" Rachel started with a proud expression. "Amazing right, I know." It seemed like a joke but with Rachel you could never really tell.

"Rachel," Kurt said as he nudged her in the arm. "That's not what tonight was about."

Quinn and Santana let out a little laugh. "Now those were some interesting moves you did there Berry," Santana commented.

Kurt chuckled. "Miss July would've killed you if she saw that performance."

Santana lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"Her dance teacher at NYADA," Kurt clarified.

"Oh."

"Well I'm sick of doing pliés and pirouettes all the time," Rachel stated. "There's nothing wrong with letting go every once in a while."

"You're right," Santana said with a smile, causing Rachel to look somewhat confused. Of course it was a little odd that Santana of all people was the first to agree with her.

As Rachel let it slide, she started grinning at Santana. "Speaking of letting go, I think _someone_ had fun tonight."

"Yeah I saw you, smiling up on that stage," Kurt joined in.

"Fine, yeah. I… I had a good time," Santana admitted with still a bit of an awkward smile. "Your song choice wasn't too bad, Berry."

The grin on Rachel's face grew bigger, if that was even possible. She held out her arms, motioning for Santana to give her a hug.

Santana sighed. She shook her head before getting up, allowing Rachel to pull her in for a hug.

Quinn chuckled at the sight. It was quite interesting, if you thought about their early years at McKinley this would be unthinkable. Then again, a lot of things right now seemed that way.

With Rachel's arms still wrapped around her, Santana shot Quinn a death glare.

Quinn teasingly raised an eyebrow at her, before noticing that Kurt had been paying attention to them making faces to each other. He didn't say anything, but he looked suspicious to say the least. Were they really that obvious?

"Well anyhow, it's getting late," Rachel said as she let go of Santana. "I think we should go, we kinda have class tomorrow."

"Berry out on a school night? My how things have changed," Santana couldn't help but remark.

"Don't worry," Rachel said, tilting her head. "I will be back to my daily schedule tomorrow."

Kurt sighed. "Ah the daily schedule…"

Rachel picked up her jacket from the chair and threw it on. "Make fun all you want Kurt, but one day you will all be applauding me from the crowd when I play the role of _Fanny Brice_!"

"I have no doubt," Kurt agreed for the sake of their friendship. He got up as he put on his own jacket. "We should do this again some time."

"Definitely," Quinn agreed. "We'll talk to you guys later."

Kurt and Rachel both nodded before turning around to pace towards the exit.

"Wait," Santana called out to them. They turned to face Santana with a questioning look.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

Santana looked at them with a genuine expression. "I feel like I should say this, I just… wanted to thank you guys for tonight. It means a lot to me."

"That's okay. We're glad you could make it," Rachel said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah and besides, we had a great time too," Kurt added. "But we really should get going now."

Santana nodded. They said their goodbyes, leaving Quinn with Santana.

"That was kind of sweet," Quinn said, causing Santana to scoff.

"Whatever."

"So, do you wanna come to my place?" Quinn asked, suddenly realizing the question felt a lot less casual after making out tonight.

Santana let out a small laugh, as if she had the same realization. "Yeah… but this time I want to get some clothes at my house first. I'll meet you at your place?"

Quinn chuckled. "Don't be silly, I'll drive you."

Santana grinned as she agreed to let Quinn take her.

* * *

About twenty minutes later they arrived at Santana's apartment.

"I'll be right back, I'll just get my stuff from my room and we can go."

Just as Santana was about to walk away Quinn grabbed her hand and pulled her back to face her. She gently placed a kiss on Santana's lips.

"I've been wanting to do that for these past two hours…" Quinn whispered.

A smile gradually appeared on Santana's face. "We can do a little more of that when we get back to your place."

"Hurry," was all Quinn had to say to get Santana going. She went into her bedroom to collect her things as Quinn waited at the kitchen counter. She felt herself getting a little hungry so she checked Santana's fridge. She quirked an eyebrow, as there was barely any food in there.

"Geez S, have you been eating at all? There's like nothing in your fridge."

"I'm never really that hungry, besides, I've been busy," Santana called back from her room.

_Right… _Quinn thought to herself.

"Guess it's a good thing I've been taking you out for dinner then," she called back.

"Yeah except for that time you ordered me that disgusting pizza."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, one sec."

Quinn sighed, closing her eyes for a moment as she leaned her back against the kitchen counter.

Suddenly she was startled by a horribly loud noise, causing her eyes to shoot wide open. It sounded like glass shattering, followed by a hollow thud. Quinn's breath hitched and it took her a few moments to get her heartrate back to normal.

"What the hell was that?" She looked over to the window and noticed the glass had completely shattered. Panic started to overcome her, and when she didn't get a response from Santana she quickly looked over to the side. "Santana what –" And then she gasped.

"Oh my god."

Santana was down on her knees, holding her head. She had dropped her bag and about two feet further lay a small but fairly heavy looking piece of rock. When Quinn looked back at Santana she noticed blood trickling down from where she held her head.

"Santana!" Quinn was by her side in no-time.

Santana didn't say anything, she just continued to press her hand to her head.

"Baby can you hear me?" Quinn tried. Santana was conscious, but she remained unresponsive. _"Shit."_

Quinn threw a quick glance at the rock and noticed a tiny note tied to it. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what it said.

_**"Three weeks."**_

And just like that, her heart sank. Reality now literally came crashing down...

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People**


	21. Catch Me

**Note: **Well first of all, thank you for the reviews and I just wanted to address some.

**Santanalover16: **Thank you, I'm glad you liked the title too!  
**secretleztech: **I know right  
**Harley Quinn Davidson: **Thank you!  
**joyrolo: **It'll all come together soon :)  
**s****ecretefan1103: **Thank you, that really means a lot to me! And I always like it when people notice the song choices as well, as I love picking them.  
**boringsiot: **A break? Nevaaaah. Haha no just kidding, I promise they'll have their break, eventually.  
**Guest **who used all the capslock, I don't mind haha thank you for reviewing!

Now, I promised to post a chapter on Sunday for **ErosEternaGlee's **birthday! So happy birthday, I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

"Santana come on, talk to me."

A painful groan escaped Santana's mouth. The bleeding didn't seem to slow down, but it was hard to see the damage as Santana still covered the wound with her hand.

"I'm calling 911."

Quinn knew she couldn't fix this with a first-aid kit, so she got up and ran to pull her phone out of her bag before she quickly dialed the number. Santana didn't protest. Maybe she wanted to, but she was in no state to argue. And that worried Quinn even more.

_"911, what's your emergency?"_

Quinn wasted no time explaining what happened. It was hard not to just stand there and panic but she needed to keep her cool. She was no use to Santana if she lost her mind. But she was close. This man was dangerous, and if Quinn hadn't realized that before, she sure did now. What would he do if Santana couldn't come up with the money in three weeks? She didn't even want to think about that.

As soon as she hung up she went to find a towel to stop the bleeding. She knelt back down next to Santana. "Paramedics are on their way… Hang in there okay?"

This time, Santana managed to look up slightly. She could tell Santana was still dazed, but Quinn wasn't sure if it was from the impact or from the blood loss. She lifted her hand to cup Santana's cheek. "S, let me see."

Quinn tried to peel Santana's hand off of where she was holding her head, causing Santana to flinch.

She quickly pulled back her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

A moment later she carefully tried again, with success this time. She swallowed as she got a clearer view of Santana's head. There was so much blood. Even though it was nearly impossible not to freak out, Quinn knew head wounds always tended to bleed a lot, even when the wound was small. She could only hope this wasn't too bad… She used the towel to put pressure on the wound, hoping to at least slow the bleeding.

"Hang in there…" Quinn repeated. "We're gonna figure this out, okay?"

Though, Quinn had no idea how. If she had enough money to pay Santana's debts she would've done it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. And even if she did manage to pay this guy off, who's to say he'd leave Santana alone? One thing she knew for sure though, Santana had to get out of here. He obviously knew where she lived now, so going back to this place was out of the question.

About fifteen minutes later the paramedics had arrived. They took over as Quinn was forced to step back. She felt helpless. This whole situation was a lot handle, if not too much. Still, Quinn didn't consider leaving Santana. How could she? All she knew was that they needed to work towards some sort of solution to this mess. They just had to.

* * *

Quinn had been sitting in the waiting room, praying to God that things would be okay eventually, somehow.

The doctor came out after about a half an hour.

"Miss Fabray?" the man asked as he approached her.

"Yeah," Quinn nodded.

"My name is Dr. Chase," he introduced himself with a British accent as he shook Quinn's hand.

"How is she?" Quinn asked, needing to know that Santana would be okay.

The man cleared his throat before starting to explain. "Miss Lopez has lost quite an amount of blood, but we were able to stop the bleeding. We used five stitches to close up the wound, she should be fine."

Quinn sighed in relief. _She'll be fine._

"However, she'll have to take antibiotics in order to avoid an infection, and I would like keep her overnight to make sure there isn't any further damage."

"Thank you doctor."

"One more thing. From what I understand, this was an attack. We had to inform the police about this incident, they will be here in the morning to ask some questions."

Quinn nodded. "Can I see her now?"

The man smiled at her. "Of course. She's been asking for you."

He directed her at the room she was in, leaving her at the door. Quinn carefully pushed the door open, making sure not to startle Santana in case she was sleeping.

When she entered the room she saw Santana laying awake in bed. _Of course she wasn't sleeping. _There was a bandage on the wound, which was located on the right side above her eyebrow. As soon as she noticed Quinn walking into the room Santana managed a smile.

"Hey," she croaked out.

"Hey," Quinn replied back, taking a seat at Santana's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Been better," Santana admitted. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I'm just glad you're okay…"

Santana shot her another faint smile before the sad expression returned to her face. Quinn knew a thousand things had to be running through Santana's mind, and she was surprised Santana hadn't cracked under the pressure yet. Or had she?

"You know this wasn't your fault right?"

Santana shook her head. "Wasn't it?"

"Santana. You did this because you wanted to save your mom, I would've done the same thing."

Santana looked away, refusing to acknowledge what Quinn just said.

Quinn carefully laid her hand on Santana's. "We just have to fix this mess."

Santana still refused to look at Quinn, letting out a deep sigh. Quinn didn't need to guess twice to know what Santana was thinking.

"Don't."

This caused Santana to look back at Quinn. The look in her eyes… It was heartbreaking. As much as she tried to hide it, her eyes were full of fear and doubt. It wasn't the Santana she was used to, the one that was full of fire and feist. Quinn could feel herself getting mad at the world for doing this to her.

"I know you're thinking about leaving again, but you're not going anywhere without me."

"Quinn…" Santana's voice was so soft it was barely audible.

"No, I thought we were passed this. You're not getting rid of me."

"Quinn," Santana repeated louder this time. "That rock might as well have hit you. I don't think I could forgive myself if anyone else – especially you – got hurt because of me."

Quinn sighed. As much as there was truth to what Santana said, the thought of leaving her was just impossible. For the first time, Quinn felt like she had something _real. _This thing, with Santana, even when it was still undefined, it made Quinn feel things she never had felt before. She wasn't ready let go of that, not when it only just got started.

"But it _didn't_ hit me. You're the one laying in a hospital bed, and I'm worried. You can't send me away every time you're scared that I can't handle it."

Santana furrowed her eyebrows as her expression hardened. "This is serious Q. It's not that I don't think you can handle it, it's just that I think… you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"I don't care," Quinn bluntly replied.

"Quinn this is not some kind of game, don't be stubb –"

"Don't you even _dare_ call me stubborn when it's you that's being stubborn. I don't care what mess you've gotten yourself into, I'm not leaving and I'll be damned if I let you walk away again."

Finally, Santana was silent.

"You're stuck with me. Understand?" Quinn spoke firmly.

Santana nodded, though Quinn wasn't sure if it was just to please her or that she really meant it.

"How are you still here…?" Santana asked softly after a moment of silence. "I mean, after all this… You should've ran for miles by now."

"Because of you," Quinn spoke with every fiber of her being. "Whatever it is we have, I can't let go of it, and I don't want to."

Santana looked at Quinn, letting out a shaky breath as she took in Quinn's words.

Quinn knew she was getting through to Santana. "I think… that whatever this is, it could be good. _We_, could be good. But it won't work if you can't see that."

"Quinn I want to… But I'm worried that something might happen to you, I can't –"

"That's why we're going to fix this." Quinn gave Santana's hand a light squeeze as if to emphasize her point. "We're gonna get through this. Together."

Santana remained silent for a moment before a small laugh escaped her mouth.

Quinn looked at her, confused. "What…"

"I can't believe how much you've changed. How much we've both changed."

Quinn smiled as she understood what Santana meant. "Yeah, we have. And you've turned into such an amazing person Santana. I just wish you would get rid of that nasty habit of running away." Quinn teasingly raised an eyebrow, letting Santana know she wasn't mad.

"Sorry," was all Santana could say.

Quinn caught her looking away again, so she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on Santana's lips. As she pulled away Santana simply gazed at her, lips slightly parted.

"Just promise me you won't run away again," Quinn whispered softly as her hand caressed Santana's cheek.

Santana swallowed, Quinn knew this was hard for her.

"Please…" Quinn pleaded as she slowly felt her voice crack.

She heard Santana sigh, and she couldn't help but look away when Santana didn't answer. But suddenly, she felt a hand on her cheek, turning her to face Santana.

"I promise."

Santana smiled, and that was all it took to make Quinn's heart melt.

* * *

Quinn stayed in the hospital with Santana that night, and the next day the doctor okayed Santana to go home. She could leave after the police would come over.

"Want me to get us some breakfast?" Quinn asked as she was laying down next to Santana, her head resting on Santana's shoulder.

"Hmm not really hungry… but you can go eat if you want to."

"You should eat something S," Quinn said as she tilted her head to look at Santana with a stern expression.

"We can do lunch later… I have wait for the damn cops anyway…"

Quinn nodded. "What are you gonna say?"

"I don't know," Santana admitted. "I'm just scared that telling them will only make things worse…"

"Santana, things are already _worse_, at least the police might be able to find him."

"But what if they don't? Because really, police doesn't do shit until it's too late. What if he just finds out I sent the cops after him and…"

"Don't even go there," Quinn cut off. The thought of something happening to Santana was terrifying.

Santana sighed, trying do as Quinn told.

"I think you should tell them."

Santana nodded slowly. "Maybe." She probably knew it was best if she told the police, but it was hard not to think about the consequences if this went wrong. "I just wish they'd show up already so I can get out of here. I hate hospitals."

That reminded Quinn of something else.

"Santana," Quinn said. "You can't go back to your own apartment."

"Quinn I can't afford to go anywhere else."

"Stay with me."

"Quinn… I can't do that."

"My place is big enough for the both of us. I would feel better if you're with me." Quinn let out a small chuckle. "I'll even let you clean that mess you've been complaining about."

Santana shook her head. "What if he finds out where you live? It won't be safe either, I can't take that risk."

Suddenly Quinn looked over to the window next to the door, smiling as Santana could only frown.

"Q what's –"

"I called in some help."

Quinn now looked at the closed door as Santana followed her gaze, still confused as hell. "What…"

"You can come in," Quinn called out.

The door cracked open slowly, and Santana noticed flowers sticking out first, followed by a taller guy holding them. Quinn walked up to him, grinning as he pulled her in for a hug. When he let go he looked over at Santana.

Santana lay there with her mouth agape, before a smile slowly crept to her lips. "You called Puck?"

Quinn nodded.

"Usually not a flower kind of guy, but… saw them in that little garden outside and figured I'd do something nice. Miss me?" He approached Santana, leaning over as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Quinn chuckled. "You do know that there are gift shops here that actually s_ell _flowers right?"

"I can put them back if you don't want 'em," he said to Santana. "I just thought this was a little more… _Puck_, you know."

Santana shook her head. "Don't… Thank you," Santana mumbled, still looking at Puck in disbelief. A moment passed before another realization hit her. "Wait, Puck if you're here who's… My mom, is she…"

"Your mom's fine," Puck quickly answered. As much as she could be anyway. "About that, I need to tell you something."

"What? But you left her alone?" Puck saw Santana was starting to panic.

"Take it easy, she's not alone, that's what I needed to talk to you about."

Santana attempted to calm herself. "What… What do you mean?"

"Santana, your abuela came by."

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Catch Me by Demi Lovato**


	22. Echo

_"Santana, your abuela came by."_

Santana felt her heart drop, and she was pretty sure her face did too. "What…?"

"A few days ago, she came by the hospital." Puck held Santana's gaze, hoping for any kind of reaction from her.

Santana didn't know what to do with this. To say she wasn't exactly on good terms with her abuela would be an understatement, the woman had practically exiled her…

"Santana are you okay?" Quinn asked with a worried frown before approaching Santana's bedside.

"I don't know," Santana managed. She allowed Quinn to grab her hand. Or perhaps she didn't even notice.

Quinn looked over at Puck, preparing herself to ask the question she _knew_ was running through Santana's mind. "What did she say…?"

"To be honest, she didn't say a lot… She didn't actually come in. I kinda found her staring from the window. I wanted to go out there and… you know, say something about the way she treated you but then she just asked me about your mom's… condition."

Even though a lot emotions were rushing through her, Santana's expression didn't change. It was hard to find the right one. Sad seemed to be a given. But then again, was she supposed to be glad her abuela finally came to visit? Or was she supposed to be angry because she actually had the nerve to show up? After a brief memory of their last confrontation, the latter emotion seemed to be taking over. Quinn could probably feel Santana's hand clenching hers.

Puck cleared his throat before continuing. "I told her, I thought maybe it would make her feel bad about walking out on you guys."

With a nod, Quinn encouraged Puck to continue as Santana was still having a hard time taking this all in.

"She looked sad. Santana, she asked where you were…" Puck said softly.

Santana couldn't help but look away as she asked, "What did you tell her…"

"Said you were working in New York…" Puck admitted. "Earning money to take care of your mom."

Santana swallowed, almost painfully as a frown inevitably creased her forehead. If her abuela knew she worked as a stripper, the woman would without a doubt lose all respect for her… if there was even any left. "You didn't say where I –"

"No, I didn't tell her where you work." Puck's voice suddenly sounded stern, and Santana could tell he was still a little mad at her for keeping her job a secret from him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Santana said in a whisper, feeling like an apology was the least she owed Puck. He'd been watching over her mother when she couldn't, not trusting him with something like this was stupid, maybe… but she knew he would have stopped her. Though right now, she couldn't help but think, maybe he should've.

Puck didn't respond to Santana's apology, he shrugged it off before continuing. "When Quinn called me she was there too. She's come over a couple times ever since that day. I guess she could tell I was worried or something, because she asked how you were. I didn't answer the question but she just told me to _go…_" Puck mimicked her abuela's expression – making it seem like the woman was some kind of Hispanic gypsy – "and that she'd stay with your mom."

"And you… left my mom alone with her?" Santana asked, now extremely aware of the situation. It was hard to think that her abuela would still want to take care of her and her mom after disowning them like that. Not only had her abuela shut Santana out of her life, she also refused to see her mom or her dad because she didn't agree with the way they were "raising" her. "I can't believe this…"

"Santana just… calm down. I think she really wants to help," Puck spoke in a serious tone, hoping to convince Santana.

"You _think_?" Santana hissed out. "What if she's –"

"What do you think she's gonna do Santana, kill her?" Puck retorted.

"I – I just…"

Santana tried to argue, but she had to agree with Puck. As much as she hated her abuela for leaving her, she knew her abuela would never do anything to hurt anyone. Not physically, anyway. She let out a sigh in order to compose herself.

"I know she's been awful to you guys, but she seemed genuinely concerned. She might be able to help her…"

Santana couldn't find it in herself to respond. Puck dropping this bomb on her gave her little to no time to prepare herself. Her abuela clearly said she never wanted to see her again, and it was pretty much all she could think about.

"Santana," she suddenly heard Quinn's soothing voice chime in. "If she's really trying to help… I don't think you're in the position to turn her down."

Santana was shocked by what Quinn said. She expected Quinn to side with her on this, especially after being kicked out by her own dad. Swiftly Santana pulled away her hand. "What? Quinn you know what she did!"

Quinn sighed. "I do know… and I still think it's horrible… But what if this is her way of making it right?"

"I don't c –"

"And this is about your mom's _life_. If your abuela can do anything to help her… Isn't that the most important thing?"

It was hard to fight that. The whole reason Santana was in this mess was because she was trying to help her mother. So when help was being handed on a silver platter, who was she to turn it down? Still, it was hard to trust anyone, _especially_ when it came down to something as important as this. If her abuela were to walk away for a second time, she wasn't sure if she could handle it.

"Maybe you should call her… talk to her," Quinn said softly, hoping not to aggravate Santana more.

"Are you serious?" Part of Santana knew Quinn meant well, but the idea of talking to her abuela was one she couldn't stand right now. What difference would it make? Surely she hadn't changed her mind about Santana's "lifestyle". Apparently the only way to get her attention was through pity, which was the least Santana wanted.

"There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it Santana," Quinn continued to reason.

"Quinn I don't even know if I can trust her, she –"

"Which is why you should talk to her," Quinn shot back, now raising her voice.

Santana narrowed her eyes at Quinn. "Why are you suddenly being so persistent about this?"

"Because…" Quinn scoffed. "God Santana, do you even realize…"

"Maybe I should give you some time to talk…" Puck intervened. Although he had no idea about what's been going down between Quinn and Santana, there was a certain vibe between them that told him this was something they had to settle for themselves. "I'll be out in the hallway," he announced before walking out the door.

Santana barely noticed Puck leaving, she kept looking at Quinn, trying to get a read on her. One thing was blatantly obvious, something was bothering her. "What's this about Quinn?" Santana asked, trying her best to keep her voice calm.

Quinn simply shook her head before turning her back to Santana, and Santana wondered if this was one of those things she was supposed to know. "Quinn," Santana pressed. "Talk to me."

Quinn turned back to face Santana with a somewhat hurt expression. Or at least, that's what Santana thought it was.

"I'm worried about you," Quinn said. Her voice sounded calm, but it seemed more of a calm before the storm kind of thing.

Santana kept looking at Quinn with a confused gaze. "I know that, and I'm –"

"Do you?" Quinn spoke loudly, not giving Santana the chance to finish. "Santana if you know that I'm worried then why won't you let anyone help you? I hate seeing you like this… I hate that you have to work at that awful place, and I'm scared that you'll get hurt again or worse! I can't do anything about it… I can't even get you to quit your job, I can't get you to talk to the police, and I sure as hell can't protect you myself because look where you are! It makes me feel… helpless…" Quinn breathed out the last word out as if she was about crack. "If anyone else can actually help you, I can't watch you walk away from it. I can't…" She kept shaking her head, and Santana suddenly noticed Quinn was actually close to tears.

"Quinn…" Santana whispered, realizing this whole situation has taken a toll on Quinn as well. "I'm sorry…"

"I just wish you'd talk to your abuela… and the police. You can't do this all by yourself… I don't know how to help you S…"

Santana expression softened. Seeing Quinn so upset about this… She felt guilty for not noticing before. Quinn had been her rock these past few weeks, but sometimes it was hard to remember that everyone had their breaking point. "Quinn come here."

Quinn looked up with tearful eyes as Santana motioned for her to come closer. Quinn did as she was told, allowing Santana to pull her in for an embrace. Both girls melted into the touch.

"You _have _helped me Quinn…" Santana said softly as she placed a kiss on the back of Quinn's head. "So much… You've helped me by being there for me when nobody else was… You're the only person I trust and I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me."

Santana pulled back to face Quinn, using her right hand to gently brush away a strand of Quinn's hair. Their eyes were locked together as they both took a moment to simply look at each other. And just like that, the room falls away.

"I'm sorry…" Santana whispered.

Quinn slowly leaned forward, closing her eyes as their noses softly brushed against each other. "I don't want to lose you…"

"You won't." Santana closed her eyes before pulling Quinn in for a tender kiss, as if to reassure her. After their lips parted they settled back into an embrace. They stayed like that for a while, both girls needing the feeling of being close to each other.

Quinn rested her head on Santana's shoulder as Santana had her arms wrapped around Quinn.

"I'll talk to the police…" Santana spoke again finally. "And I'll talk to my abuela…"

She felt Quinn nod against her shoulder. "Thank you," she said softly.

Santana was still terrified at the thought of talking to her abuela, but she would do this for Quinn. For Quinn, and her mother.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Echo by Foxes**

* * *

**Note: **So figured I'd put the note at the end for a change. I just wanted to say that since classes are coming up and everything, chapters will probably be a little shorter. With that being said, I also think this story needs a little more fluff. Whatcha think? Yay or nay?

I wish you all a happy sunday!


	23. Madness

**Note:** I think I said I'd do shorter chapters, but somehow this ended up being way longer than I had intended. Hope you don't mind haha! A few things though. I skipped a little time here (really, not much), I'm just trying to pick up the pace a bit. Next, quickly addressing some reviews. Thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites by the way!

**boringsiot: **I totally agree, and I'm all for fluffy breaktime.  
**scaryshari7: **Definitely!  
**Liazu: **So I reviewed your story but I don't even know if I'd thanked you for your review yet! So uhm. Merci beaucoup haha!  
**Guest: **Haha no that's a perfect review, thanks!

So, here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Two days had passed since Santana talked to the police and was released from the hospital. Santana finally gave in and agreed to settle into Quinn's apart along with Puck. Puck offered to sleep on the couch while Santana stayed with Quinn in her room, as Quinn had a twin-size bed anyway. They knew Puck must've realized something was going on between them, though neither of them was ready to explain. Much to their relief, Puck didn't ask any questions. They spent the first day simply catching up on everything that's happened – before the drama that is – and just hung out in the living room all day. Santana sure could use the rest, and Quinn obviously could as well.

Two nights Quinn had slept next to Santana. It was a nice change, considering they usually slept on each other's couch. Yet, nothing happened. For both nights Santana had been the first to fall asleep, and Quinn didn't blame her. After all, the events of the past two days had left both of them exhausted. Quinn watched Santana struggle in her sleep, and she prayed that things really would get better. They should, right? The police was on the look-out, Puck was around to protect them, and Santana's abuela was keeping an eye on Santana's mom.

However, Santana had yet to talk to her abuela. Quinn knew Santana was afraid to talk to her – and to be fair, it would be a huge step – so she agreed to give Santana a little time. Quinn knew Santana would call her when she was ready, and that was enough for now.

Sunday morning Quinn woke up first. She was facing Santana who was still fast asleep, and murmuring softly from time to time. Quinn smiled at the sight of a peaceful Santana, it was almost… adorable? She nearly chuckled at the thought. This girl, that she'd gotten in fights with _so_ many times that she lost count, was now the reason she was smiling like an idiot. How on earth did this _ever_ happen? In just a few weeks, so many things had changed. Undeniably a lot of drama had come with it, but having Santana lay next to her like this, she wouldn't have it any other way.

Suddenly she felt Santana shift a little. Quinn watched Santana's eyes slowly flutter open and she was met with beautiful dark brown eyes, and a lazy crooked smile.

"Hey…" Quinn whispered softly.

"Hey yourself," Santana's voice still sounded a little raspy. She slowly stretched out, taking a deep breath before she leaned forward, Quinn smiling into the kiss.

"I could get used to this," Santana smirked as their lips parted.

"Me too…" Quinn agreed, her hand finding Santana's. "How'd you sleep?"

The smile on Santana's face faded. "Alright…" she answered with a sigh.

Quinn's fingertips slowly stroked the back of Santana's hand. "I heard you twist and turn a lot."

Santana gave Quinn a faint smile, knowing she couldn't fool her. "Just got a lot of stuff on my mind… did I ruin your sleep?"

"No it's fine, I don't need much sleep anyway."

Santana looked away, but not before Quinn caught a glimpse of guilt on her face. Just as Quinn was about to say something they were startled by the sound of both of their phones. Quinn reached out for her phone, flicking the screen on to find out she had received a text.

"Rachel."

Santana checked her phone too and noticed she had also received a text. "Kurt. What's yours say?"

**_11:34 RACHEL: Kurt and I are going out tonight with some NYADA friends, we were wondering if you'd like to come along?_**

Quinn read the text out loud. "What about yours?"

"Pretty much the same," Santana replied as she rolled over onto her back, leaving her staring at the ceiling. "Who goes out on a Sunday night?"

"Tomorrow's memorial day, everyone's off from school."

"Oh…"

It was hard to keep track of time with everything that's been going on.

"So what do you think?" Quinn asked.

It was strange how Rachel and Kurt were completely unaware of the events that had occurred after they left the karaoke club that night, but it was also somewhat of a relief. So many parts of their lives had been tainted with drama, talking to Kurt and Rachel was actually a welcome change.

"I don't know… I mean it's been fun the other day – well until the end of the night – but… there's just so much going on right now…" She shifted again, now laying on her side facing Quinn. "I don't know if I can just turn all that off."

Quinn nodded sympathetically. She gently tucked a strand of Santana's hair behind her ear, revealing her bandage. Danger's been lurking around the corner, and Quinn knew Santana would always worry about her mother. It seemed odd to just push aside all the drama when it was undeniably there, yet at the same time… what was wrong with spending one extra night in denial?

"I think we should go."

Santana cocked an eyebrow.

"We could use a break," Quinn said with a shrug. "And I mean, a _real _break this time."

As amazing as karaoke-night was, Quinn did spend half of the night frustrated with Santana. Not to mention the end of the night was brutally ruined… Quinn wasn't sure if she could ever forget feeling that helpless, holding Santana and just praying that things would be okay. It was without a doubt the most dreadful feeling in the world.

"Tonight could be a do-over from the other day. Without the drama."

Santana sighed. "No drama…"

"No drama," Quinn assured, though hoping she was right. "It'll be you and me, having a good time."

"You mean you, me, and Puck," Santana pointed out.

"Right," Quinn laughed. "Why did I call him again?"

Santana shrugged before nuzzling into the crook of Quinn's neck. "You were looking out for me."

"Thank you," she added in a whisper.

Quinn smiled before answering with a kiss on Santana's temple. "So… you think Puck's in for a party?"

This made Santana chuckle. "Are you kidding? He's been playing crossword puzzles with my mom for weeks… the guy _needs _a party."

Quinn laughed before allowing a grin to appear. "So is that a yes?"

Santana leaned back, narrowing her eyes at Quinn, and then placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Fine, it's a yes."

* * *

Around eleven PM everyone was preparing to go out. Puck was in the bathroom making sure his Mohawk was in perfect shape as Quinn was going through her closet, figuring out what to wear. Santana sat on the edge of the bed, already having decided to go with a tight blue cocktail dress which according to Quinn, certainly flaunted her chest.

"That one," Santana said as she pointed at the green dress Quinn was holding.

"I don't know… Think it might be a little too much." Quinn looked at the rather deep cut cleavage.

Santana playfully squinted her eyes. "And that is wrong because…"

Quinn laughed while shaking her head. "Perv." Yet she decided to go with the green dress anyway. As she changed she could feel Santana's eyes burning a hole into her back. When she was done she turned back around to face Santana.

"Wanky," Santana said with a wicked smile, letting her eyes wander to explore Quinn's body. Quinn smiled before walking over to the mirror, examining her outfit from different angles.

Santana got up as Quinn watched her approach through the mirror. Santana appeared behind her and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder. "You look good, Quinn."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Santana replied, looking back into the mirror as Quinn did the same. It was a funny sight, still. Here they stood together, relationship undefined… but the fact that there was even something to define was just… unthinkable. Or at least, it used to be.

"I should go find a pair of shoes," Quinn announced before walking back to her closet. She took a look at her options and ended up pulling out different pairs.

"Do you think I should go with these?" Quinn asked, holding a pair of black open toe heels. But instead of an answer, she was met with silence. "Santana?"

Quinn looked up to find Santana still staring into the mirror, trying to cover her bandage with a strand of hair. Quinn took a deep breath before walking back over. "It's not that bad…"

Santana shook her head. "Here I was, calling Finn Frankenteen when I'm the one with the ugly ass stitches."

Quinn simply smiled in response. "I think they're kinda hot."

This caused Santana to turn around, playfully raising an eyebrow. "Really…"

"Mmhm," Quinn hummed in response.

"Maybe I should get rocks thrown at my head more often," Santana tried to joke. Her joke however, clearly wasn't funny to Quinn.

Quinn looked away, the smile on her face immediately disappearing at the thought of Santana getting hurt again.

"I'm sorry," Santana said softly, realizing she'd killed the mood. "That was stupid."

"It was." Quinn moved to sit down on the bed as Santana followed. Quinn looked up at Santana. "Aren't you scared?"

Santana shrugged, a little nonchalantly. "Of course I am…"

"This guy's attacked you, more than once, and… you act like it's nothing. You always do that."

Santana let out a deep sigh. "What do you want me to do Quinn?"

"Can you at least pretend you care?"

"I do care… but I… I can't just go cry and hide under a table. I'm scared okay? But most of all, I'm scared that something will happen to _you._" Santana scooted a little closer and lifted her hand to cup Quinn's cheek, making Quinn face her. "You've become such an important part of my life… and the thought of losing you… it _terrifies_ me."

Quinn saw the vulnerability in her eyes, and although she'd witnessed her break down, Santana showing this side of herself was still a very rare thing. With their faces close to each other, Quinn leaned forward and softly pressed her lips up against Santana's. "Nobody's gonna lose anyone… We're gonna be okay…"

Santana nodded.

"And tonight," Quinn continued. "We're going to put it all aside. We're gonna have a good time, and this time, nothing is gonna stand in our way."

Slowly a smile crept to Santana's lips. "I hope you're right."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Are you done yet or what?" Puck's voice sounded through the door. "I swear to god, you girls picking out clothes takes longer than my damn trip to New York."

"Shut it Puckerman, I've seen you work on your Mohawk for hours!" Santana yelled back.

They heard Puck scoff and mumble a little "whatever…"

"What do you think he does with it?" Quinn asked, wondering how Puck could spend so much time on his hair when he had so little.

"Think he's mostly admiring himself in the mirror," Santana said with a chuckle.

"Right." Quinn laughed as she pictured Puck checking himself out, which was probably true anyway. "Well I guess he's right though, we should get going."

"Yeah," Santana said with a smile, unable to keep her eyes off Quinn.

* * *

About a half hour later they arrived at the club that Rachel had given the address of. As soon as they got inside, they immediately noticed a lot of people were there. The place was rather huge, and the music playing wasn't all too bad. Selena Gomez' "Slow Down" was on, and along with the dimmed lights it successfully put on that club kinda mood.

"I have to admit, this looks pretty good," Santana said as she looked around. "Guess NYADA students go all out huh."

"This place is insane," Puck said smiling while still taking in his surroundings. "I might move to New York instead!"

Quinn couldn't agree more, this club was certainly more fancy than anywhere she's been before. Then again, she hasn't gone clubbing in ages.

"You guys made it!" They suddenly heard Rachel yell. "You both look great and I see you brought… Oh my god… Puck?!" Ecstatically Rachel pulled Puck in for a hug, catching him slightly off guard.

"Whoa there," Puck laughed. "It's nice to see you too."

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked as soon as she let go of him.

Puck threw Santana and Quinn a quick glance before looking back at Rachel. "I… came to visit Santana, 'cause you know, she missed me so much."

Quinn could see Santana rolling her eyes, and mumble a soft "Oh god…"

"Oh my god, what happened to your head?" Rachel gasped, suddenly noticing Santana's bandage.

"I tripped," Santana said quickly. "Hit my head," she shrugged, trying to look as casual as possible.

"It looks painful," Rachel admitted as she bit her lip. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah yeah, it's no big deal, I'll be fine…" Santana tried to assure. She couldn't really tell if she had convinced Rachel, but luckily Quinn interfered.

"Where's Kurt?" Quinn noticed he wasn't there with Rachel.

"Oh he's over there," Rachel pointed at a spot somewhere in the back. "Dancing with Adam."

Santana cocked an eyebrow. "Adam?"

"Yeah I don't know, they've been hanging out a lot. He's a really nice guy though!"

"I'm sure he is," Santana couldn't help but say a little suspiciously, noticing how close Kurt and Adam seemed to be dancing.

A little while later everyone was out on the dance floor. Well, almost everyone. Santana was sitting on the couch. Quinn shot her a smile before moving over and sitting down next to her. "Hey, why aren't you dancing? You used to be this party animal."

"A lot of things were different back then," Santana replied, though slightly grinning at Quinn. _She_ was probably the only change Santana didn't mind.

"Don't tell me you lost your dancing skills," Quinn teased.

"Yeah, _right_," Santana huffed.

"Well then come dance with me?"

Santana looked up into Quinn's eyes as Quinn worked on her best pleading smile. She could tell Santana was doubting so Quinn got up and reached out her hand. "Come on."

Santana sighed before taking Quinn's hand, Quinn hauling Santana up to face her. They exchanged a sweet smile before walking off to join the rest.

Everyone was having a good time. The funny thing was, Quinn and Santana expected NYADA students to be the kind of people to try and show off their dance moves, but instead… they were all acting goofy, doing silly dance moves and even Puck joined in. He still made sure to keep an eye on Santana however. This was probably the first time he partied without spiking his drink. Rachel on the other hand had managed to get her hands on an alcoholic drink, which she'd gotten from one of the older NYADA students.

"You guys want some… too?" Rachel slurred, pointing at her drink. It's not like she drank that much, but the girl's petite body simply couldn't handle a lot.

"Pass. Antibiotics and all… " Santana explained with a shrug.

Rachel nodded. "Quinn? What about you? It's really good… _Reaaally_ good."

Quinn chuckled at drunk Rachel, but she had to admit that the thought of a drink was tempting. She hadn't drank in forever, after all. But if Santana had to stay sober, she would too.

"It's fine if you want to," she suddenly heard Santana say.

"No it's okay," Quinn assured. "I don't need it."

"You sure?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, _you're_ all I need."

Santana couldn't hide the smile that was now spreading across her face. "You've got to stop being this nice, you're kinda freaking me out."

Quinn laughed, playfully hitting Santana in the arm.

"You guys…" Rachel chimed in, taking a sip of her drink, "are acting funny… are you together or something?"

_Crap. _They'd nearly forgotten Rachel was standing there, they just hoped she wouldn't remember this the next day.

"Okay you've obviously had too much to drink," Quinn said quickly, trying to repair the damage.

Rachel shook her head. "No, well… yes, b-but I know something's going on between you two. We can all see it!"

"See what?" Santana asked, trying to look intimidating.

"What's this about?" Kurt suddenly joined in as he appeared next to Rachel along with Puck and Adam.

"Rachel's just had a little too much to drink," Santana replied.

"Kurt you saw it too. Something's going on between them, you-you said it yourself!"

Kurt's face contorted a little. "Yeah… Uhm."

"Remember karaoke?" Rachel continued to rant. "When you said they were making googly eyes at each other all night? And –"

"Okay," Kurt laughed nervously, quickly taking the drink away from Rachel. "That's enough Rach."

"What's going on between you two?" Rachel asked once again, staring them down with a frown.

"I was kinda wondering the same thing," Puck suddenly spoke. Of course he'd have to ask at _some _point.

Quinn and Santana exchanged a glance, wondering how they were going to get themselves out of this mess. It wasn't as if they didn't want to tell their friends, but they just weren't sure what to say. Honestly, Rachel's question was one that they'd been wondering about themselves. Though clearly they couldn't deny that _something _was going on.

Santana simply shook her head while Quinn stood there, her mouth opened but unable to find the words to say. What was she supposed to say? One thing was clear, they wouldn't be able to get out of this without an explanation. She looked back at Santana, hoping she'd have some better ideas.

The next thing that happened had Quinn surprised to say the least.

Suddenly Santana threw her hands around Quinn's waist, drawing her closer to her. "For crying out loud," Santana muttered before kissing Quinn passionately… Right in front of Rachel, Kurt, Puck, and judging from the sound of boys cheering, a whole other crowd as well.

As soon as Quinn got over the shock herself, she reciprocated. When Santana pulled away from Quinn, a smirk marked her face as she and Quinn watched their friends stand there with their mouth agape.

"Is that clear?" Santana spoke firmly.

Not a word. Even drunk Rachel was left absolutely speechless.

"Well… Not exact –" Kurt finally stuttered out, but Santana immediately shot him a glare, making him think twice before speaking. "I mean… Sure…"

This was definitely not over yet. Surely they'd play twenty one questions as soon as they felt like they got the chance, but for now, Santana had without a doubt managed to shut everyone up. Awkwardly, their friends got back to dancing, though judging from the look on their faces they were clearly still trying to process what just happened.

"I can't believe you did that…" Quinn laughed.

Santana shrugged. "I got to kiss you, so I'd say it was totally worth it."

Quinn shook her head, still smiling from ear to ear. "You know they're gonna start asking about us right?"

"Well if you didn't want them to know you should've worn a different dress," Santana teased. "You can't expect me to keep my hands off if you're looking like that."

"You picked it idiot," Quinn shot back laughing.

"Right… My bad…" Santana said, smiling into another kiss.

* * *

As soon as they got home from the club Puck fell onto the couch as Quinn and Santana leaped into the bedroom.

"You guys still owe me some answers!" they heard Puck call out.

"Later!" Santana yelled back before closing the door and kissing Quinn, who was tugging at her arm. Before they knew it Santana was on the bed, Quinn climbing on top of her. Where Quinn had found the courage, she didn't know. Maybe it was because Santana had found the courage to "tell" their friends about them. Maybe it was because the night was simply amazing, and Quinn didn't want it to end. Or maybe it was because Quinn ended up stealing a drink from Rachel anyway.

Quinn moved on from Santana's lips to her neck and her collarbone, hungrily kissing her. It wasn't something Quinn would normally do, but there was just something about tonight. She allowed her hands to explore Santana's body, nearly making Santana whimper in pleasure. However, just as Quinn's hand reached further south Santana stopped her, unable to hold back a laugh. "Q what are you doing, stop."

Quinn was surprised, she expected that someone like Santana would jump at the chance to get some action. After all, she was never really much of a prude when it came to her sex life. Why wouldn't she go for it? Was Quinn not good enough for Santana?

"Why? I know I'm not that experienced but –"

"Relax," Santana chuckled. "First of all, Puck's in the next room. I wouldn't want him to hear you scream my name." She playfully lifted her eyebrow, causing Quinn to roll her eyes… Yet Quinn couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her lips.

"_Second_… I don't want us to rush into anything. You said we could be good together and…" Santana paused for a moment, smiling to herself. "I think so too. I just don't want to ruin things by moving too fast."

Quinn nodded, allowing herself to calm down. She rolled off of Santana and laid down next to her. Suddenly she realized how eager she must've seemed. Oh how stupid she must've looked. She just didn't expect Santana of all people to stop her. She always thought Santana would be the eager one, but much to her surprise, it wasn't like that.

"What," Santana said with a frown, noticing Quinn's change in demeanor.

"It's just… That's really…"

"Really… what?"

"Sweet," Quinn finished, adding a warm smile.

Santana cocked an eyebrow, a grin appearing on her face. "Am I really that big of a bitch? Because you seem awfully surprised."

"Well as much as I can't argue with that…" Quinn playfully lifted an eyebrow, "I don't know, I guess I never really expected you to be this… considerate."

"Well you already had your first time with a guy ruined… I just want to make sure that if we ever…" Santana paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "It should be special."

Quinn narrowed her eyes at Santana, unable to help a smile. "You know Santana… I always thought I had you all figured out." She shook her head. "I was wrong." Quinn felt like she was getting to know a side of Santana she didn't even know was there. And it was… sweet, comforting. It was different from any of the guys she's been with.

"And just so you know," Quinn added. "I don't think you could ever screw up our first time that badly anyway. I'm pretty sure you can't get me pregnant."

"That must be such a relief," Santana laughed before placing a kiss on Quinn's lips.

Of course neither of them could deny their problems, but a night like this… it was _exactly _what they needed. They could worry about tomorrow later.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Madness by Muse**

* * *

**Note: **Gah, another note, I know. But I was just wondering, I realize I've barely mentioned Brittany in this fic. Any of you would want to see her return? And if so, what do you think her reaction to Quinn and Santana's relationship would be? (I'm not bringing her back immediately – there's enough going on as it is – but she'll appear eventually)

And a little sidenote. I know Selena's song was technically not even out yet during this period in the fic, but you know what, in a world where they cover Demi Lovato songs and then have her play a role in Glee without acknowledging Demi's existence, I think I can pull this.

That's enough rambling for me. Let me know what you're thinking!


	24. Keep Your Head Up

**Note: **I see there are some different opinions on Brittany's possible return! I can only say I won't make too big of a deal out of it, so those of you who worry about a love triangle between the three, that is _not _going to be the case. Oh right, **Sylverkubus**, thank you for your enthusiastic review haha! As for your song/chapter suggestion of "Take My Breath Away", I don't think we're quite there yet, but you did however give me an idea for later! So thank you. And of course once again, thanks everyone for the reviews/follows/favorites!

This is somewhat of a short chapter, but I hope you enjoy.

* * *

"No way," Quinn mused as she sat on the edge of the couch. "You dated _Kitty_? I can't believe you still date cheerios even after you've graduated."

"What can I say?" Puck replied with a shrug.

"You just love those uniforms don't you."

"Can't deny, that might be the only thing I'm grateful to Sue for," Puck admitted, stretching his arms out with a lazy yawn.

"What do they see in you?" Quinn mocked, shaking her head at Puck.

"They're hot. I'm hot. It's only natural, like gravity," Puck said matter-of-factly.

Quinn arched an eyebrow, suppressing a laugh. "I doubt sir Isaac Newton meant to describe your odd attraction to cheerios."

Puck frowned. "Who the hell is that?"

Quinn only smirked in response.

"Hey say whatever you want, you _both_ dated me," he pointed out, shooting Santana – who stood in the kitchen – a quick glance as well. "Which is… weird… since… you're now hooking up with each other…" Puck suddenly realized, his thoughts trailing off as he scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

Quinn turned to look at Santana, proudly grinning at her.

The warmth that radiated from the blonde's smile made Santana's heart flutter in ways it hasn't had in a long time, and she couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her own lips. She'd been watching Puck and Quinn quarrel like two year olds for a while now, but the only one she'd really been paying attention to was Quinn. Her eyes were simply drawn to her, _like gravity._

It was strange, baffling even. Once she allowed herself to look at Quinn a different way, everything changed. For one, it was literally as if Quinn became sexier by the minute. These past few days Santana often found herself staring at the blonde, feeling her heart rate slightly pick up as she inspected the girl's every feature. She always thought Quinn had a certain grace about her movements, but never had she expected it to drive her mad the way it did now.

Though it wasn't just Quinn's appearance that seemed different to her. When Quinn first kissed her, it hit her like a wrecking ball. The walls that shielded her from the world slowly crumbled down to pieces, leaving her emotions bare. It was only then, she got to know how much spending time with Quinn affected her. Even though they argued a lot, in the end she came to realize there was no one she'd rather argue with. Quinn was persistent, stubborn, annoying (a lot like herself even if she refused to admit it), there were a thousand things to call it. But the matter of fact was, Quinn got Santana to open up to her _because_ she was persistent, stubborn, annoying, all that. Truly, those were the qualities that made her the amazing friend that she's been. And now, with their pride out of the way – most of it anyway – Santana was starting to allow her to be more than that. Oh, what an overwhelming feeling that was.

"You can stop staring you know," Quinn teased playfully, slowly getting up before walking over to Santana, who still stood with her back leaned against the fridge, holding her phone in her hand.

"Guess I just can't help myself," Santana smirked as she put her arms around Quinn's waist, pulling the blonde's body closer to her own.

Quinn hummed in amusement, smiling as she brought her face closer to Santana's.

_And there it goes again. _

Santana could feel her heart pounding within her chest, beating faster every second Quinn came closer. If it weren't for any of the drama going on, she would've sworn it was perfection. Quinn put her hands on either side of Santana's face, momentarily managing to send the Latina's worries into oblivion with the simplest touch. Just as their lips were about to graze each other, they were reminded of the third person in the room.

"This is so hot."

Santana and Quinn both looked up to find Puck staring at them.

"You can wipe the drool of off your mouth," Santana muttered clearly annoyed, though making no attempt to remove her hands from Quinn's waist. "Whatever you're thinking, _not_ gonna happen."

"Why are you so sure?" Puck questioned. "I mean, _you two_ are hooking up. As far as I'm concerned, anything could happen after _that_."

Quinn chuckled, shaking her head. Santana simply rolled her eyes before taking Quinn's hand and dragging her to the bedroom.

"Geez Santana, greedy," Puck kinda sorta joked as Santana closed the door behind them.

It wasn't like they planned to do any of the dirty stuff, but the bedroom was simply the closest thing to privacy they had nowadays. Having Puck around twenty-four seven… well, let's just say it was a whole lotta Puck. But however annoying the guy could be, he was still one of Santana's closest friends. Attitude aside, Puck was actually a really protective person. He stood up for his friends and without hesitation, he was there when people needed him. It meant a lot to Santana, as she didn't have a lot of people to rely on.

"I love him to death but I swear to god sometimes –"

Quinn cut her off with a kiss, calming Santana's nerves. Santana could feel the blonde's lips curve into a smile before she pulled away, allowing their eyes to meet.

"You can never let me finish, can you," Santana said sarcastically, though she couldn't beat the grin off her own face.

"You love it," Quinn retorted playfully. Soon however, her cocky expression was replaced with a more worried one. "You okay?" she whispered softly.

"I'm… fine…" Santana answered confused. "Why?"

"Well… it's just that you were standing in the kitchen for about an hour holding onto your phone…" Quinn pointed out, her gaze moving over to the hand Santana indeed still held her phone in.

Santana managed a faint smile at the realization.

"Were you thinking about calling her?" Quinn asked, not needing to explain who she was referring to.

With a sigh Santana moved over to sit on the bed, Quinn following. As they sat down Quinn waited for Santana to talk.

"All I had to do was press that call button."

Quinn nodded in understanding, placing her hand on Santana's lap. "So what stopped you?"

"I don't know…" she sighed, her hands playing with Quinn's. "I wanted to do it, I did but…"

She hung her head down low, finding it hard to look at Quinn. The truth was, part of her was embarrassed about the fact that she struggled with this so much. It was just a phone call… one simple phone call. And yet, it was a whole lot more than that. A year ago she would've done anything to get her abuela to talk to her again, but now… she couldn't help but wonder, is _this _what it took for her to come around? It was freaking pity, and Santana hated that her abuela saw it as the only reason to talk to her. Because really, that's what it was right?

Quinn noticed Santana scrunching her eyebrows, displaying the conflict within her.

"Hey," Quinn said, trying to get Santana's attention, though Santana made no attempt to look back up. Quinn quickly shifted to place a kiss on the Latina's lips, now forcing them to face each other. "Whatever happens, you know I'll be here right?"

Santana nodded, her lips curving into a somewhat forced smile.

She hoped that Quinn was right. Quinn hasn't given up on her, and she more than proved that she wasn't going anywhere. It was true that they were doing great together. And still, with everything that's happened, Santana couldn't help but feel like anything could be ripped away from her in less than a split second.

It happened multiple times, after all.

She loved her abuela, and she never expected the woman to react the way she did when she told her about her feelings for girls. Just like that, she lost one of the most important people in her life, and it still hurt 'til this very day to know that her abuela couldn't love her for who she was.

Then there was her dad, a man she looked up to all her life. To find out he was nothing like she pictured him to be… it was yet another huge blow, and it made her wonder if she'd been wrong about other things. She'd lost her father, and fate never gave her the time to deal with that loss. And now, she might have to face the possibility of losing her mother as well, the only person who always truly supported her through all the hardships in life. Sometimes it felt as if fate gave her a hand, only to knock her back down harder. A few months ago the sky came crashing down with the speed of light… and if she lost her mother right now, it could very well break her. She couldn't help but feel like she'd always end up alone, one way or another.

"You have me and I'm here for you," Quinn spoke again, as if she could read Santana's mind. She leaned forward, pulling Santana in for another kiss. Only this time, it was more passionate. As their lips grazed each other Quinn pulled Santana closer to her, her skin setting fire against Santana's. It was strange how someone could speak reassuring words through the act of a kiss, but that's exactly what Quinn did.

"You're on my side and I'm on yours…" Santana whispered as she slowly pulled away, remembering the night she broke down in front of Quinn for the first time.

"That's right…" Quinn said, running a hand through Santana's hair.

Santana could feel a smile creeping to her lips. "If anyone would've told me a year ago that I'd be falling for Quinn Fabray I would've told them they were crazy…"

"I know," Quinn chuckled softly.

Santana placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's lips, before glancing back down at her phone that lay next to her. She was still hesitant, but it certainly felt better knowing that Quinn was beside her.

"You'll be okay," Quinn tried to encourage.

Santana nodded. She had to do this, she knew it. Pity or not, she couldn't let her own pride stand in the way. Truly, she already gave up her pride a long time ago. First, when she started working at the strip club. Every disgusting touch ripped just that much more away from it. And then there was that day she allowed herself to take help from a complete stranger… If you think about it, what was left of her pride, really?

She sighed before unlocking the screen, seeing her abuela was still only one touch of a button away. After finally gathering the courage, she took a deep breath and pressed the call button. She had nothing to lose at this point. If anything, her abuela might be able to help her mother, and that was all that mattered.

Santana held up the phone to her ear as Quinn held her other hand, resting her head on Santana's shoulder, making sure Santana was aware of her presence. At the first beep Santana could feel her own hand lightly squeezing Quinn's.

At first, nobody answered. Santana wondered if she even had the right phone number. It'd been a long time since she last called her abuela, after all… Though she never deleted the number, even when her abuela deleted Santana from her life.

Just as she was about to give up, someone answered.

Without even realizing it, her lips had started to quiver as she managed to say the first word.

"…abuela?"

"Santana…"

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Keep Your Head Up by Ben Howard**

* * *

**Note: **So... what do you think her abuela's going to say?

Oh right, if anyone else has some song/chapter suggestion, I'm curious!

With that being said, I wish you a happy... monday...


	25. Reckoner

**Note: **I apologize for this short chapter, I have a busy week coming up. But, considering I did kinda leave a cliffhanger, I wanted to at least give you something.

So here it is, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_"…abuela?"_

_"Santana…"_

It's been so long since she heard her abuela's voice. It reminded her of all those times she sat in her kitchen, feeling ever so comfortable in that chair. The place felt like a second home to her, it was a place where she felt comfortable, and it used to be one of the places where she felt like she didn't have to hide who she was. Her abuela spent most of the time baking cookies as Santana watched, smiling. Although the cookies were delicious, her abuela always kept offering them even when she couldn't bear to eat any more; it used to drive her crazy. Yet now that her abuela's finally stopped offering, Santana found herself missing the taste.

"A – Are you with mami?"

"_Si_." Santana could hear the woman take a deep breath before continuing, as if it was some kind of omen for bad news. She hoped that it was all just in her head, but she was glad Quinn was still there holding her hand.

"_Santana… I wanted to call you, I need to talk to you_."

Sometimes it was as if her abuela held a façade of her own. Her face as well as her voice never gave away her thoughts, and a part of that was terrifying because Santana had no idea where this would go.

Hesitantly, she decided to ask. "Are you still mad at me about my feelings for –"

"_I don't want to talk about that Santana_."

Santana thought it wouldn't hurt as much as it did two years ago. She was wrong. Her mind went back to that day her abuela had stopped welcoming her into her life. What should have been emotional scars quickly turned into open wounds, and her abuela's words stung her as if they never stopped bleeding.

Quinn couldn't hear the conversation, but she could feel Santana's muscles tense against her. Still holding Santana's hand, she wrapped her other arm around the Latina's waist. She tightened her grip, as if to hold Santana together if she were to fall apart.

Gratefully, Santana managed to give Quinn a half-hearted smile. It wasn't enough, but it was the best she could do.

"_I… talked to the doctors_," her abuela suddenly spoke.

"How is she," Santana asked, all the emotion drained from her voice, but still raging freely in her mind. She couldn't let her abuela get to her, not now.

"_They told me about the surgery and… the costs_."

Santana's face contorted, her expression lingering in between anger and confusion… she wasn't really sure how to feel. Best case scenario… her abuela would offer to take care of the surgery, and her mother would be okay. Well, in the _actual_ best case scenario, her abuela would also take her back into her life, but right now it already seemed like she could erase that thought. Then, the worst case scenario… her abuela wouldn't – or for whatever reason couldn't – help, and her mother's life would still be hanging by a thread, depending on Santana's job… and with everything that's been going on, she wasn't sure how long she could keep holding onto that.

"And…"

However hard she tried, Santana was unable to keep her voice from cracking. She felt Quinn press a light kiss against her head. Under normal circumstances, that would have made her feel better. Yet still, the way her abuela dragged out her words… it caused Santana to feel this indescribable feeling in her gut.

The woman cleared her throat, seemingly reluctant to say whatever it is she wanted to say. The pause was absolutely nerve wrecking. To Santana, it felt as if she was in court waiting for her abuela to pass her judgment. Nonetheless, she was far from closing the case; there was still a maniac out to get her. She swallowed thickly, waiting for her abuela to continue.

"_I looked at my savings at the bank, and combined with the money I got from selling the car I came up with enough money._"

"What?"

"_I wanted, to take care of it._"

For a moment Santana couldn't believe it. Her heart nearly jumped in excitement. Could it be that it was truly over?

And then she thought again.

_Wanted? Past tense? _Within a split second, her joy was replaced with fear, and the uncontrollable shivering of her body. She was starting to panic. Was her mother… could she be… did she?

"What do you mean _wanted_," Santana blurted out.

"_Santana, calm down… She's not… she is not dead_," her abuela reassured her.

Santana let out a shaky breath in relief… yet something still wasn't right. She could tell by the tone in her abuela's voice, the tone that had been lingering throughout the entire conversation.

"Then what are you trying to say?" Santana questioned, though she was unsure if she would want to hear the answer.

"_Your mami… last night… she went into cardiac arrest._"

Santana was no expert in medical science, but that didn't sound good. "Abuela, what does that mean?!"

Quinn couldn't help but look at Santana worriedly. Whatever was going on, it clearly had her upset and it pained Quinn to see her that way.

"Say something!" Santana called out again, and even Quinn flinched at the harshness in the Latina's voice.

"_I think it's best if you come home_."

"Why? What's –"

"_She is in a coma, mija_."

"What?" Santana asked in disbelief. It couldn't be true. There was no way.

"_The doctors cannot say much about the situation yet, they said they will know more in a few days…_"

"No…" Santana tried to deny, as if it would make a difference. She shook her head. _No…_

"_I'm sorry mija_."

Santana opened her mouth once again, but no sound came out. She felt as if all words had left her, it was hard to even breathe. Without realizing it she dropped her phone, causing it to land on the floor with a thud.

"Santana, what did she say?" Quinn's voice suddenly chimed in, though barely breaking Santana from her thoughts. Santana simply continued to stare into nothingness.

"Hey, talk to me," Quinn continued. Seeing Santana this way worried her more than usual. These past few weeks Santana had been angry, sad, and she may have broken down but she never seemed so… scared.

Santana found herself trembling as she still tried to make sense of the situation. Her mother was in a coma… This wasn't supposed to be one of the options. It wasn't the way it was supposed to go. Her abuela agreed to pay for her surgery, things should have been fine. What goddamn obstacle had fate thrown her this time? Suddenly, she snapped out of her unresponsive state and quickly got up, removing herself from Quinn's grip without a warning.

"Santana," Quinn looked up at her, confused about what was going on.

"I – I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Santana what happened?"

"Can I borrow your car? Please."

"Santana, tell me what's going on!" Quinn practically begged by now.

Santana looked at Quinn, as they finally locked eyes with each other. Seeing the distress on Quinn's face, Santana calmed down a bit. Quinn was worried, and Santana knew she couldn't leave her in the dark about this. It wasn't fair to her.

"My mom's… she's in a coma," Santana managed. "I have to go home."

Quinn's face fell.

"Santana…" She walked up to Santana and quickly wrapped her in an embrace. "I'm sorry…" she whispered softly.

Santana didn't know how to react. All she could do was let Quinn hold her.

"I have to go home," Santana spoke again as they pulled apart.

"I know," Quinn nodded in understanding. "But you are not driving like this."

"Quinn I have to –"

"I'll take you."

"Quinn you can't do that, you have college," Santana tried to reason, even though she would want nothing more than for Quinn to come with her, to stay by her side and hold her.

"Don't worry about it."

"No you'll get kicked out or something, you can't leave," Santana continued while shaking her head. "What if you –"

"I'm dropping out."

A brief silence ensued.

"What?"

Quinn's lips parted slightly, and she looked at Santana as if she regretted her confession. "We'll talk about it later, right now I'm coming with you to Lima, and there is nothing you can say or do that'll change my mind." She moved forward and raised her hands to cup Santana's face.

Santana could see a certain seriousness in the blonde's eyes, but it was a caring kind.

"You can push me away all you want but I'm not going anywhere. If you're leaving, I'm coming with you. Okay?"

Santana would've argued, but _god_…

She needed Quinn. Now more than ever.

"Okay," she whispered softly with a nod.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Reckoner by Radiohead**


	26. Dance

It's been three hours since they had left New York. It was late, the roads were dark out and there wasn't a lot of traffic. Puck would take the train the next day since Quinn's car wasn't that big, and because he thought a little quiet time would be best for Santana.

The car ride was mostly silent. Quinn sat in the driver's seat, trying her best not to clench the steering wheel as she drove. She couldn't believe Santana had to go through this, it wasn't fair. Hadn't she been through enough?

Every once in a while she looked to her side to check on Santana, only to find her staring out the window. Even though it was late, Santana was wide awake. Quinn could tell she was blinking back tears but refused to let them fall. She wished Santana wouldn't feel like she'd have to put up a front all the time. But then again, _old habits die hard_. Quinn wasn't going to push Santana into talking about her mother but she hoped Santana realized Quinn would be there when she would feel the need to.

"You're tired." Santana broke the silence, turning her head slightly to look at Quinn.

Quinn shot her a small smile. "It's fine, I'll catch some sleep when we get there in the morning."

"I can take over."

"Don't, you should get a little rest… It's been a hard night."

Santana swallowed before looking back out the window.

Quinn's heart broke just a little more. Even though Santana didn't shed any tears, there was a certain sadness in her eyes, a certain kind of pain, and it made it nearly impossible for anyone to look at her without cracking under the pressure. But Quinn held her gaze, reaching out her right hand to touch Santana's causing her to look back at Quinn.

"I'm sorry," Quinn said. "I know there's… no way you can get rest with everything that's going on right now… I just hope you know I'm here for you."

Santana sniffed lightly, nodding before she looked away again.

Quinn knew Santana found it hard to look anyone in the eyes at times like this. Maybe it was because she saw pity, maybe she was ashamed, or maybe she felt confronted and it reminded her of everything she wanted to run away from. For a moment, Quinn placed herself in Santana's shoes, wondering how she would deal with all of this. Truth be told, she would run. At least, she would _want_ to. That thought was upsetting to her. Was she a bad person for wanting to run? Was it wrong? Was it inhuman to want to leave when things get too tough? Or did Santana feel the same way? In the end, there is a fine line between wanting to run and actually doing it. Santana probably wanted to run too. But she didn't. She gave up her dreams to take care of her mother, hell, she gave _everything_ up. Her father on the other hand actually ran, leaving his family to clean up the mess he left behind. Fair enough, he didn't know about the heart attack. But that didn't make Quinn hate him any less for doing this to Santana.

"Quinn."

Santana's voice interrupted Quinn from her thoughts. "What is it?"

"Thanks… for coming."

"Of course…" Quinn said softly, though there was still a hint of surprise in her expression. Did Santana think Quinn would even hesitate to stand by her side? Of course she would come. However many times Santana still showed doubt, Quinn would keep proving to her that she wasn't going anywhere until Santana would get it through her damn head.

A few weeks ago, Quinn believed Santana was simply stubborn, and that was why she didn't want to be around Quinn. Now Quinn came to realize it was more than that. Santana was scared. She was so afraid to lose it all, and that was something Quinn could relate to. That invisible shield, the façade, those walls, there are a thousand things to call it; it's not something that is consciously made. It just grows with every blow fate delivers. It's an instinct, it's your mind taking natural precautions. After spending this time with Santana and getting to know her and everything that's happened, Quinn understood. She knew why Santana struggled to trust her and although earning that trust seemed like an impossible task, she wasn't going to give up.

Quinn Fabray _does not_ give up.

"_I don't want to talk about that_," Santana suddenly mumbled, a subtle yet bitter laugh escaping her lips. "That's what my abuela said on the phone when I brought up how I feel about girls."

"I'm sorry…" Quinn whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"You know a small part of me believed that maybe she came around. I should've known nothing's changed."

"Maybe it'll just take a little more time," Quinn tried to comfort, though she couldn't help but feel resentment towards the woman.

Santana let out humorless chuckle. "Maybe."

Quinn sighed, finding it hard to comfort Santana when her words would only contradict her own thoughts. "You said she offered to pay for your mom's surgery… I guess it's a step."

Santana didn't respond, she kept looking out the window even though there was nothing to see in the dark.

Quinn felt stupid for saying it. Sure Santana's abuela tried, but right now it didn't mean much. Her mother was in a coma, only God could fix this. Silently, Quinn said a little prayer.

"You said you were dropping out of college… why?" Santana asked after a while, catching Quinn a little off guard.

Quinn sat upright, throwing Santana a quick glance before looking back out on the road. She knew Santana could use some distraction, and that was something Quinn could offer. "I just… I needed a fresh start. I'm such a mess at CU… I just felt like I needed to make a change."

Santana nodded. "So what are you gonna do?"

"I was thinking I could take a year off… Take some acting classes, maybe." Quinn smiled to herself. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try applying to Julliard, or NYU… I can do anything I want, you know?"

Even Santana managed a small smile now. "You're Quinn Fabray. Everything's possible for you."

Quinn couldn't help but blush a little. It still felt odd whenever Santana complimented her considering their history, but it was for that very reason that Quinn appreciated it even more. "That goes for you too. You know that right?"

Santana forced a smile in response, choosing not to answer.

"Hey," Quinn continued, getting back Santana's attention. "Maybe right now the timing isn't right, but… you will get the chance to live your dreams, whatever they are. I promise."

"How can you promise something like that?" Santana asked with a frown.

Quinn smiled. "Because you're Santana Lopez."

Santana couldn't help but laugh a little. "Damn right…" she mumbled softly before looking away.

"If… if it weren't for your mom… What would you be doing right now?" Quinn asked, genuinely wondering about Santana's dreams. She'd never really given it much thought, but then again, Santana probably hadn't either.

A moment of silence passed, as Santana allowed herself to think about it for the first time.

"I… I don't know," she finally admitted. "I haven't really let my mind go there."

"You used to say you wanted to go to New York," Quinn tried to encourage.

"I did…" Santana sighed. "I do," she corrected.

"But?"

"But I never really had… a dream, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not like Rachel who's wanted to be on broadway ever since she was two years old… Or Mike, who's always wanted to be a dancer… I'm not like that. I guess I always wanted to be famous, but thanks to Britt I know that's not my _only _goal…" She arched her eyebrows, surely remembering the time that Brittany made that sex tape.

"You could focus on your singing… or dancing. Or you could become an actress." Quinn smiled. "You could even go to law school, or med school."

Santana quirked an eyebrow. "Med school?"

"Or law school. You'd look pretty hot in a suit or one of those sexy skirts," Quinn tried to tease, earning herself a timid smile from Santana. "I'm just saying, you're smart, you can do whatever you want. You don't have to know right now, it's okay to take some time to figure things out."

"I guess," Santana shrugged.

Quinn offered her a sympathetic smile.

Suddenly Santana was startled by the sound of her phone buzzing off the dashboard. Quinn caught Santana's hands slightly trembling as she reached for it. Maybe there was an update on mrs. Lopez' condition… which could be for the better, or the worse. Quinn watched Santana brace herself as she unlocked the screen.

"Who is it?" Quinn asked carefully.

Santana sighed, almost in relief. "It's Puck." She tilted the screen slightly so Quinn could scan the message.

**2:12 PUCK: Do I need to bring some more clothes from the apartment tomorrow? Just thought since you were in a rush and all… Hang in there, love you, Puck.**

"Can't believe he's still up," Quinn said.

"He's worried."

Quinn nodded in understanding. She hadn't even considered how Puck must've felt when she told him Santana's mom was in a coma. He put up a brave face – much like Santana – but it must've hit him. He'd been spending a lot of time with mrs. Lopez lately, of course he'd grown attached to the woman.

"Can I ask you something?" Quinn wondered.

"What is it…" Santana spoke absentmindedly, typing out a response to Puck's message.

"How did Puck… How did he end up…"

Santana looked up. "You mean how did Puck end up staying with my mom?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah…"

"It was kind of a coincidence, actually… I was staying with my mom, and one time when I went to get some food at the hospital I ran into Puck."

Quinn cocked an eyebrow. "What was he doing in the hospital?"

"Some drunk kid fell off the balcony at one of his parties, broke his arm or something. Puck came with him and that's how I bumped into him," Santana explained.

"Typical," Quinn mumbled before encouraging Santana to continue.

"He asked why I was there but before I could answer… he noticed my mom laying in the hospital bed through the window… He came in with me, and I guess for some weird unknown reason he connected with my mom." Santana frowned to herself, as if it still had her puzzled. "I left to get coffee which I forgot, and when I came back they were playing some stupid boardgame."

Quinn watched Santana's lips curve upwards at the memory. "That's kind of sweet."

"Yeah…" Santana nodded faintly, quickly wiping a tear from her eyes before it got the chance to fall. "When I left for New York I asked him to keep an eye on my mom… He was the only person who wasn't scared of her," Santana said with a dry chuckle.

"Like mother like daughter huh…"

Santana managed a smile as Quinn lightly squeezed her hand as if to comfort her.

After a moment of silence, Santana finally spoke. "I know I thanked you before… but I'm really glad you're with me…"

"Me too," Quinn whispered softly. She knew it was hard for Santana to admit her feelings, so Quinn would take it all to heart.

* * *

Finally, at the crack of dawn, they were greeted by the sign:

**_Welcome to the Lima community_**

Even with the few breaks they'd taken, Quinn had nearly fallen asleep during the ride. But she managed to keep her eyes open whenever she just took a moment to look at Santana, and remembered why they had to get to Lima.

Not too long after they reached the hospital. When Quinn pulled over at the parking lot Santana remained seated, continuing to stare out the window as if they never stopped.

Quinn put up one hand to touch Santana's cheek, causing her to break out of her dazed state. "You can do this."

Santana shook her head, feeling a lump form in her throat. "What if I can't?"

"You'll have me to support you."

Santana looked back outside to the entrance of the hospital building before letting out another shaky breath. "I'm scared, Q… I'm terrified…"

Quinn leaned forward from her seat, gently connecting her lips with Santana's. When their lips parted, their faces remained close to each other. Santana rested her forehead against Quinn's, clenching her eyes shut. Quinn watched a tear finally roll down Santana's cheek, so she quickly wiped it away before pulling Santana in for an embrace. Santana held on for dear life.

"It's gonna be okay…" Quinn whispered softly, while saying another silent prayer.

* * *

**Song / Chapter Title: Dance by Rebecca & Fiona**


	27. What Now?

**Note: **I'm not answering the question if Santana's mother is going to die, however, I might have mentioned in other stories how I prefer my endings. Here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

She wasn't sure if she was even breathing as she walked into the building. All she knew was that she was desperately holding onto Quinn's hand, finally acknowledging this was too much for her to handle by herself.

"Third floor right?" Quinn asked softly as they approached the elevator.

Santana nodded as Quinn pressed the button. The elevator moved up and Santana found herself wishing it would take longer for them to reach the third floor. She felt sick to her stomach. Everything was happening too fast.

When those elevator doors would open, she'd have to face her abuela. She'd learned to deal with her emotions when it came to that, but if the woman said anything to upset Quinn Santana would definitely lose it. However, that wasn't what scared her most. The one thing that she was so afraid of, was seeing her mother. Even the thought of seeing her mother in such a lifeless form was devastating, because that wasn't who she was. In contrary, her mother was lively woman, she was caring as much as she could be temperamental, she yelled when she had to and whispered encouraging words when Santana needed to hear them. Santana wasn't ready to lose her, but did that really make a difference?

_Third floor. _Santana's heart dropped.

Quinn gave her a sympathetic nod, encouraging Santana to start walking. Even when she felt like running in the opposite direction, her legs moved forward, as if the rest of her body wasn't attached to her head anymore. Everything was such a mess. She didn't know how to match the right emotions and it left her feeling empty. If only someone could tell her what she was supposed to do, how she was supposed feel, to act.

Especially right now, when her abuela stood only a few feet away from her.

Santana swallowed thickly. She wasn't even sure when she let go of Quinn's hand, but she slowly paced towards the woman. Her abuela's expression was one that was hard to read. An indescribable frown creased the woman's eyebrows, but somewhere in her eyes Santana thought she saw concern, love maybe. Santana wasn't sure what to make of it, she wasn't sure about anything anymore. What was she supposed to do? Say something? Ignore her? Shake her hand?

Before her mind could make a rational decision, she suddenly felt two arms wrapped around her. For a moment she thought it must've been Quinn's, but quickly she realized Quinn was standing behind her and that it was in fact her abuela holding her.

"Santana, I'm so sorry…"

The woman hugged her tightly, and all of the sudden Santana felt overwhelmed by the familiarity of it. Somewhere in between, tears had started flowing. Santana somehow felt younger in her grandmother's embrace. It was something she wasn't used to anymore. These past few months had her growing up way too fast. Santana didn't say a word to her abuela, she simply hugged her and allowed herself to be comforted.

"She is a strong woman, she will get through this, and so will you," her abuela continued to soothe. Santana was sobbing uncontrollably. In the corner of her eye she could see Quinn watching her. Normally she would've felt embarrassed, allowing herself to be held by her grandmother like a little child… but right now she just didn't in have it in her to hold back.

When she finally pulled apart, Santana realized she had to come to terms with the fact that she couldn't prolong not seeing her mother anymore. She wanted to see her mother, so bad, but she was afraid of what she would find.

With every right.

Her abuela encouraged her to walk in as Quinn followed Santana's steps. The woman threw Quinn a rather sceptic glance but kept her thoughts to herself.

Santana entered the room and her throat felt heavy at the first sight. There lay her mother, her body completely still, and her skin was unnaturally pale. Normally she wore the same tanned glow Santana had, but it was hard to recognize her this way. Nonetheless, Santana managed a smile through her dry tears.

"Hey mami," she started, taking a seat at her mother's bedside. She felt Quinn's hand on her shoulder, but she couldn't look away.

For some weird reason she expected an answer, she needed to hear her mother to say something. A warm greeting or even a scold, it didn't matter. But instead, she was met with complete silence. Her own hand reached for her mother's, hoping to get a squeeze out of her, a sign of life, a sign that she was still fighting or at least trying.

"I missed you," Santana spoke again, attempting another smile. "I'm sorry I've been away, I hated leaving you."

She let out a shaky breath. "It's been so hard in New York… I wanted to be here for you, but I had to do something to fix this mess…"

A painful laugh escaped her. "Looks like I failed miserably."

"You did everything you could," Quinn said softly, rubbing her back.

Santana shook her head. "It wasn't enough."

"I'm so sorry mom. I…" She scrunched her eyebrows, closing her eyes for a moment before a faint smile crept to her lips. "You must think I'm stupid, talking to you when you're asleep. But they say people can sometimes hear you, right… And… I need to know if you can hear me."

She thought she'd cried out every tear she had in her, but yet again tears had started rolling down her cheek.

"I'm here now. I'm home, mami. You can open your eyes now." Quinn hugged from behind, but Santana's body grew limp in her embrace.

"Please," she continued to sob.

Nothing.

Santana shook her head, releasing herself from Quinn's hold. "She can't hear me."

"Don't give up S."

"No, I must look like such an idiot. She can't hear me Quinn."

"Honey you don't know that, she might be –"

"Then why won't she wake up?!" Santana raised her voice. She felt bad for making it look like she was angry at Quinn, but she didn't know how else to react. The whole situation was like bad dream that never ended. She hoped her presence would've made a difference but she couldn't help but feel like she was too late.

Quinn opened her mouth to respond, but she didn't know what to say.

"I need her to wake up, so badly…" The emotions were painfully evident in her voice. "I need her Quinn. I lost my dad and I can't lose my mom too, I can't. I just…" She ran a hand through her hair, trying to get herself together but she felt drained.

"Santana…"

"Why won't she wake up…" It was a mere whisper now. She clenched her eyes shut, somehow hoping everything would go away. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes again. "I'm sorry… Can I… Can I just have a moment alone with her?"

"Sure…" Quinn nodded, though she seemed reluctant to leave Santana's side. Nonetheless, she placed a brief kiss on the Latina's forehead before walking over to the door and throwing Santana one last glance. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Thank you."

* * *

Quinn left the room and was immediately greeted by the sight of Santana's abuela, who's attention she'd caught. Quinn didn't feel like talking however. She simply stood a few feet away from the door, making sure she'd be nearby if Santana would need her.

"Alma Lopez," Santana's abuela introduced herself, reaching out her hand as she walked up to Quinn.

Quinn forced a brief smile, finding it hard to think anything nice of the woman who'd rejected Santana for simply being who she was.

"Quinn." Reluctantly she shook the woman's hand. When she let go she looked back at the door, continuing to watch Santana through the window.

"So you're a… friend of Santana?" the woman asked carefully, slightly tilting her head up.

Quinn nodded, not wanting to get into this even though she knew exactly what she was trying to find out.

"She asked you to come?"

"I offered," Quinn shrugged nonchalantly.

"That's very kind of you… Quinn."

"She needed someone. I couldn't let her go alone," Quinn explained, though her gaze never left Santana. It seemed like she was talking to her mother again. At least she hasn't given up, Quinn thought to herself.

A rather awkward silence followed, but Quinn didn't really care. She was here to support Santana, and that's what she would do. She just hoped Santana wouldn't close up after seeing her mother like that. Quinn noticed how lifeless Santana's mother looked, and she was afraid it would take away the last bit of hope Santana still had left in her.

After a while Santana's abuela finally spoke again.

"Where is that boy, Noah? Why isn't he here? I thought he was with Santana."

"He'll be here later today. I had a car so I drove her here, Puck – Noah's, taking the train."

"I see." The woman let out a not-so-subtle huff, and it was starting to aggravate Quinn.

She turned to face Santana's abuela with a frown. "Is there a problem?"

"Santana needs her family."

"What's that supposed to mean," Quinn asked incredulously.

"You seem like a very nice girl Quinn, I appreciate you driving Santana here but I just think she is better off with her family right now," the woman explained simply, as if there was nothing more to it. Quinn wouldn't have it.

"Her family?" she scoffed. "You mean _you_? You haven't spoken to your granddaughter in years."

"Things are different now."

"Are they?"

"What are –"

"Because to me, everything looks exactly the same. You still refuse to accept Santana for the incredible girl she is. You're just here because you pity her and you feel guilty about what your son has done."

Maybe Quinn said too much, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was tired from the drive, and she was tired of seeing Santana suffer.

"How _dare_ you?" The woman narrowed her eyes as she shook her head. "My son is none of your business, I will not have you talk to me like this."

"How dare _you_? You're still trying to control Santana's life when you've lost the right to say anything!"

"You need to leave," the woman spoke with a deadpanned expression.

"I'm not going anywhere. Santana wants me here."

"Santana doesn't know what she want, she is confused and you are taking advantage of that."

"You can_not_ be serious." Quinn clenched her fists, her palms itching to hit the woman. "I'm not – I'm not going to get into this. You know what, the last thing Santana needs right now is you trying to make decisions for her."

"How would _you_ know, about what Santana needs?"

"I –"

Suddenly another voice cut her off.

"Because she knows me better than anyone."

Both Quinn and Alma Lopez turned to look at Santana, who was now standing outside her mother's door. And she didn't look happy.

"Quinn's staying. You either accept that or I'm going to ask you to leave."

"Santana –"

"No I can't, I can't handle this."

"Then let me take care of you. I still love you Santana, I just –"

"You just what? You don't love me. You can't choose to see what you want to see. It's all or nothing, and this is me. All of me. That includes Quinn." Santana walked over to Quinn, placing a kiss on her lips as they exchanged a look. With that one look, Santana managed to assure Quinn she was on her side. Her abuela however looked away.

"This is _disrespectful_ Santana."

Santana pulled away from Quinn to face her grandmother. "I can't believe you. I always thought you would have my back, I looked up to you for God's sake, which is why I trusted to tell you this in the first place."

"Enough –"

"No!" Santana interrupted again, her expression lingering between sadness and anger. "Quinn has been there for me when you wouldn't even pick up the phone. She's made me feel better when I thought no one could, and she never left my side even when I've been such a bitch to her. _You_ on the other hand… I just wanted you to know me, abuelita." She narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "And when I told you about how I feel about girls… That was _all_ it took for you to drop me."

"It's not that easy."

"Why not? Why can't it be?"

"It just isn't. Don't you understand? You expect me to throw away all my beliefs. You ask me to discard everything I have learned growing up. I can't just do that. I want to be there for you Santana, I am trying."

"But you don't want Quinn to be here," Santana clarified for her.

"You don't need her Santana."

"Yes – I do." Santana turned to face Quinn. "Quinn has been so… amazing. If it weren't for her, I would've… I… I needed her and she's been there for me. She's been my best friend and so much more."

Quinn had to admit, she was scared Santana might not defend her when it came down to it. Santana wanted her abuela back in her life so badly. But she stood up for Quinn. She did.

"And I am falling for her, so hard."

Santana spoke the words as if they even surprised her. At first Quinn feared she regretted saying it. But then a small but warm smile appeared on Santana's face, and Quinn knew she had nothing to worry about.

Santana looked back at her abuela. "So either you accept that Quinn's staying, or I don't want you around at all."

"You can't do this."

"I am giving you a choice, you never gave me that."

The woman sighed deeply in frustration.

"So what's it gonna be?" Santana asked, though Quinn caught the silent plea in her voice.

* * *

**Before Santana left the room**

_"Quinn's here too…" Santana found it hard to talk to her mother, knowing she wouldn't get a response, but in the end this was the closest thing to a talk they could have. Santana needed this._

_"She's been my rock. You wouldn't believe how amazing she's been." A smile crept to her lips. "Mami, I think I'm falling for her." _

_Santana chuckled softly to herself. "If you were awake you'd be laughing wouldn't you. I must've come home complaining about her taking my captain's spot a thousand times…"_

_She shook her head. "And now… God, I might even love her. It's insane, right?"_

_"But I know you'd be happy for me. I just wish you were awake to tell me…"_

_"I hope you know I'm not giving up on you. I'm not. You're going to wake up, a – and you're going to scold me about quitting college and all that, you're going to tease me about falling in love with Quinn, you're… you're going to be fine. __**We're**__ going to be fine. We have to."_

* * *

******Song / Chapter Title: What Now by Rihanna**

* * *

**Note: **So, what do you think her abuela's going to do? Also, I'm thinking about bringing some glee friends back into the picture. Santana could sure use some friends right now, yay or nay? Anyhow, have a good weekend!

PS: what did you think about Dantana? Thought it was really cute, haha and always +1 if it means more screentime for Naya! Weird how they were girlfriends all the sudden though. But oh well!


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